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In the eyes of the United States federal governmentmarijuana is an illegal drug. But almost half of theU.S. states have made marijuana use legal or atleast a minor crime.
People who support legalization of marijuana say some kinds of the plant offer extraordinaryhelp for human health. For example, one kind of medical marijuana is reported to ease effects ofepilepsy, a disease of the nervous system.
Rachael and Shawn Selmeski are happy that their baby girl, Maggie, can hold up her head. Thatis a normal mark of growth for a four month old child. But Maggie is two years old.
Maggie's father says that simple act is a huge step -- or what he calls a milestone -- for hisspecial needs daughter.
"They're inch stones [[small steps]] in the big picture, but they're milestones for our children,for our special needs kids."
Maggie has spent much of her life in the hospital. Shortly after birth, doctors found that Maggiehas a rare form of epilepsy. Epilepsy can cause people to suddenly become unconscious. Italso can cause violent, uncontrolled movements of the body called seizures.
Maggie's kind of epilepsy can cause hundreds of seizures in a single day. Her parents hurriedher to the hospital emergency room many times in the first year of her life. Doctorsadministered treatments and medicines to save her life. But Mr. Selmeski says these treatmentsalso had other severe effects on his little girl.
"They drugged her up. She would sleep for 20 hours a day, and wouldn't make a noise all daylong. They sedated every part of her body."
The Selmeskis wanted treatment with fewer of these unwanted side-effects. So they turned toa new kind of medicinal marijuana called Charlotte's Web. Marijuana growers in the U.S. state ofColorado developed the plant.
Doctor's Advice? Move to Colorado.
Marijuana is legal in Colorado but not in Tennessee where the Selmeskis lived. Maggie's doctorscould not order marijuana as a treatment. So, they urged the Semelskis to do somethingextreme -- head west.
One year ago, the family moved to Colorado. They began giving Maggie Charlotte's Webmarijuana mixed with olive oil three times a day. The Semelskis say Maggie's condition improvedimmediately. She could digest food better. She began developing more muscle. And they sayshe began to smile more.
Charlotte's Web contains very little of the chemical THC that gives marijuana users a highfeeling. But chemist Bryson Rast says that Charlotte's Web is loaded with another chemical,cannabidiol, also known as CBD. The chemical cannabidiol is an anti-inflammatory, meaning itreduces pain and swelling in the body.
Edward Maa is a brain doctor. He says he would like to compare this high CBD medicinalmarijuana to federally approved drugs for epilepsy. But, the only marijuana that he may legallystudy is old, or out-of-date.
Mr. Maa says it is time for the federal government to support research into Charlotte's Web. Hesays he does not care about the political effects or personal emotions around the medicinalmarijuana debate.
"I don't care about the political implications or any of the emotional baggage that it carries. If itworks, I'd like to be able to use it."
Most parents will do just about anything to help lessen the suffering of their children. Abouttwo hundred families have moved to Colorado from other parts of the country just to getCharlotte's Web for their epileptic children.
The Selmeskis say they hope that growing interest and knowledge of marijuana's medical valuewill lead to federal support for more research. |
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发表于 2016-7-29 08:31:51