Governor Christie urged to allow children to use marijuana

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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Children with a rare form of epilepsy known as Dravet syndrome, their parents and medical marijuana proponents gathered in New Jersey's State House on Thursday to make a plea for Gov. Chris Christie to sign a bill that would ease access to pot for kids with certain conditions.

Brian Wilson, whose 2-year-old daughter Vivian has Dravet and is prone to violent seizures, said that as it stands, the state's medical marijuana law makes it unlikely that his daughter will be able to get relief in the form she needs.

"The difficulty has been getting people to understand that we're not looking to get children high," he said as he held Vivian, who wears a patch on one eye and sunglasses to cut the risk of seizure. Wilson said that elsewhere, ingestible extracts of certain strains of marijuana - high in a compound known as CBD and low in THC, the chemical that gets pot users high - have helped children with the condition.

But New Jersey's dispensaries are limited to growing only three strains. They're also allowed to produce cannabis only to be smoked, taken as lozenges or used in interdermal patches; Wilson said Vivian should be able to get the drug in an extracted form that she can swallow.

A bill adopted by the Legislature in June would Bill would increase number of permissible strains; make them available in more forms, including edible; and require juvenile patients to jump through fewer hoops to get medical marijuana. Christie has until Aug. 8 to take action by signing it, vetoing it or issuing a conditional veto that sends it back to lawmakers with instructions on what changes they could make that he would find acceptable.

Supporters of the changes delivered 2,000 letters on their behalf to Christie's office Thursday. Christie suggested on a radio show Wednesday night that while he is reviewing the bill, he might not sign it as-is. One of his concerns, he said, is that the children cleared to use it wouldn't be the only ones who do. "I know parents are concerned about the health of their children," Christie said Wednesday on TownSquare Media. "I have to be concerned about the health of every child."

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/...4050bb02643482baa035.html#qMrdtFYvQJ8m6J1r.99
 
Gosh, this makes me so sad. I mean, to see your child suffering that much and knowing a treatment but not being able to administer it. I mean, as a parent, it must kill you. I would smuggle my child marijuana.
 
"The difficulty has been getting people to understand that we're not looking to get children high,"

sadly, this social stigma with marijuana will always remain, with society continuing to be ignorant to the positive and medicinal properties it holds.

so many will suffer as a result, when the obvious solution is so simple.

...kytnism...:|
 
I find it ironic that the go-to excuse for anti-drug policies is now being shifted to pro-drug policies

"but the children!"

you live in Trenton and can't find weed? smh
 
I think that parents who know nothing about weed, aside from the fact that it helps their child would have a hard time medicating their child through any black market. No matter how vast that black market is.
Imagine a completely weed naive individual finding a few dealers or even one. It could be tough. How are those people supposed to judgr the pot they buy for their child on the street?

Finding high CBD content bud on the street is not often a highly thought of factor. All dealers lie, but if they were to mention anything about cannabinoid levels it would be about the THC.

How could these parents trust that it was grown properly without chemicals? How could they make sure that the pot they get for their child isnt laced? Are these parents going to learn long winded extraction methods to gather small amounts of possibly contaminated/impure CBD?

When it comes to medicating someone other than yourself (especially a child) with a black market substance. It is tricky and potentially dangerous.

It may be rude of me to say, but why not move out of state? No job or schooling that is tying you down is worth your childs suffering. If you would have to move away from other family they would understand. There is no reason why these parents cant move and get a card for themselves if their child still isnt applicable in X state.
 
Well I'm sure they need a place to live, money, a job to pay for healthcare for their child? ^ I'm sure they need family and friend support to be able to provide care around their clock for their child. It's not that easy to just get up and go with a child with such a severe medical issue. Even if they were to get a marijuana card and administer marijuana to their children. The next hospital visit, their child would show up positive for THC and they would be arrested for endangering the welfare of a child + various drug charges. Then, who would take care of their child?
 
I hope these children can get the relief they need. I know a few situations with young patients with rare forms of epilepsy taking high cbd low thc (1/1 ratios) in concentrated forms. Many times it is a treatment resistant form of epilepsy which is the reason to resorting to cannabis. It tends to work for the few situations I personally know of. I agree with pretty_diamonds about the risk of using cannabis due to "child endangerment". To be honest, if the childs condition is severe enough and resisted all other forms of treatment the parents should consider moving in order to get the help they need. In other medical marijuana states the guidelines cover children under the age of 18. I worked in collectives and we had two patients who where underage. They needed to come with their parents or their parents come for them as their caregiver. For most, getting up and moving for cannabis is extreme. But, in situations like these it seems a little more reasonable.
 
THIS IS DISGUSTING! Administering cannabis to children?! REALLY? Come on. There are so much better alternatives out there.... then to just give your kid a powerful psychedelic. When it comes to marijuana, the side effects far outweigh the benefits. Not to mention, marijuana does in fact alter brain chemistry. I'd hate see the repercussions of what it would do to an underdeveloped mind.

Honestly people. Marijuana is a POWERFUL substance. I wouldn't even recommend it to adults.(Unless the of course it was absolutely necessary) Believe me, I know the how the whole "Medical marijuana" (wink wink) game works. Don't get me wrong... I think it's brilliant, and I'm all for taking advantage of loopholes in a corrupt legal system... But when it gets to the point where marijuana is looked at as a "cure all" "innocent" or "harmless" little herb... that's when I have to make a stand.

Again, don't get me wrong I do in fact think it should be legalized. I think all drugs should be. But I don't think it should be prescribed to children. If these parents were truly focused on getting their child proper treatment, then, like I said before, they would find tons and I literally mean tons of other alternatives.

I honestly think this is a ploy. Because I've researched similar cases, such as this... Same scenario "sick child" "Medical marijuana"... But then I come to find out that the parents are actually marijuana activists... And "sick child" isn't as sick as made out to be.

Just my 2 cents.
 
You're 2 cents are worthless Godandlove. Name a prescription drug with a better safety profile than marijuana (protip, you can't). Anyways they want access to high CBD strains (or better yet an extract) which is not 'psychedelic' as some people describe THC.

Would you rather a child get a more traditional anticonvulsant like highly addicting benzodiazepines?
 
Marijuana is linked to multiple types of cancer. Marijuana causes and increases your chances of having severe anxiety and panic attacks. Also, it can cause genetic abnormalities associated with mental illness. Such as schizophrenia. Wouldn't exactly call that a "safety profile". (protip)


I said "alternatives"... I never said anything about "prescription drugs" or "addicting benzodiazepines". By the way Marijuana is just as addictive as drugs come.

"Anyways they want access to high CBD strains"

Completely irrelevant. They want to "sign a bill that would ease access to pot for kids with certain conditions".
 
There is no association with marijuana and cancer.
http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/15/10/1829.short

What is this nonsense about causing genetic abnormalities? Are you trying to say marijuana alters a users DNA and gives them schizophrenia? Source, please.

I will concede that marijuana can worsen anxiety, but that's because of the THC. The strains that are used to treat Dravet Syndrome are high is CBD which is an anxiolytic.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20829306

The alternative is prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines. Marijuana doesn't cause physical withdrawal with regular use. If you think marijuana is addicting as drugs come then you obviously have no realistic viewpoints. Caffeine is more addicting then weed.
 
Marijuana doesn't just "worsen" anxiety... it INDUCES it. I don't even have to provide you with a link for this one. Go browse the cannabis forums.




Still not for children.
 
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That whole cancer issue is currently in flux. Does its smoke contain carcinogens? Absolutely. Does smoking moderate amounts of weed place you at higher risk for cancer? The evidence is at worst inconclusive, but more likely there is no link. Cannabis has been shown to be an antioxidant and antineoplastic, and smokers of just cannabis don't seem to be developing cancer at higher rates than non-smokers. See that big ass "Cannabis not linked to lung cancer" thread for sources.

In either case, the point is moot when discussing cannabis extracts that will be consumed in pill form.

Caffeine is pretty addicting. I recently found this out the hard way. I was violently sick with a stomach thing for a week, and I accidentally refrained from all caffeine. On day 2 or 3 I started getting some really bad headaches that wouldn't respond to pain killers. Somebody went and got me Excedrin 2 days later and immediately the headaches went away. I literally screamed out Eureka! when I realized that Excedrin has a little caffeine.
 
1. I'm still wary of any smoke also. Marijuana doesn't need to be smoked though.
2. Hate to break it to you but Daily Mail is not a valid source, it's articles on drugs are unscientific propaganda.
3. I'll accept that high THC strains can induce anxiety, but high CBD strains relieve anxiety.
4. When I miss my morning caffeine I have a pounding headache, when I miss my morning bong rips I feel normal. I'll redact "If you think marijuana is addicting as drugs come then you obviously have no realistic viewpoints." though.
 
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Okay this is getting out of hand. I have nothing against Marijuana. I just don't think it should be administered to children... under any circumstance!





Sorry if I offended anyone.
 
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You do know smoking isn't the only way of ingesting marijuana right? When they give it to kids it's almost always in the form of edibles which means they are eaten in the form of food in case you don't know what the word edible means.
Did that link have the so called alternatives listed in it? The article didn't show up since you need to be a member to view it. For some people weed can make anxiety worse and other it doesn't. For me it has always helped my anxiety which I have from having to dealing with multiple debilitating health issues. Besides the alternative treatments you also never answered on whether or not you think the kid in the link I posted should have his medication taken away from him. I agree it is more harmful to children but in extreme cases like this were the positives outweigh the negatives there is nothing wrong with it.

Not sure why I bothered responding since you are most likely a troll.

CNN? What a joke.
and you posted a article from the daily fail article
 
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