As of 2018, eight states including California have legalized the recreational use of marijuana (cannabis). Likewise, the State of California has allowed doctors to prescribe marijuana-based medications to patients. However, special restrictions are still applied to certain parties, as shown in a news story that made headlines recently. In September, a California judged that a Santa Rose kindergartener can continue to bring her cannabis-based seizure medication to school. However, district officials are still considering the validity of this decision.
The Incident
The issue arose after the Rincon Valley Union School District ordered that a young girl could not use her medication on school property. Based on the report, 5-year old Brooke Adams has to use a cannabis-derived ointment three times a day to suppress the symptoms of a rare variant of epilepsy. However, one problem remained. While the use of medical marijuana is completely legal, the federal government does not allow the use of this medication (including cannabinoid substances) in schools.
After the issue was put before the courts, a judge ruled in favor of the child and provided a temporary order that allows Brooke to continue bringing the ointment to her school. Meanwhile, the family’s lawyer expressed confidence that this case would create awareness for other students in similar situations and improve regulations for medical marijuana.
Should Children Use Marijuana-Based Medication?
As part of the global debate, researchers strongly caution parents against exposing their children (particularly very young ones) to the drug marijuana and its secondhand smoke. Recent studies in France have shown that, despite the fact that the drug is 100% illegal in the country, 235 French children who suffered from accidental marijuana exposure were admitted to emergency rooms from 2004 to 2015 (a 133% increase in ER visits). French and American doctors argue that the effects of THC (the addictive chemical in marijuana) in children can be potentially lethal. Even more disturbing, the United States reported a 30% increase in juvenile intoxication via medical marijuana products.
Seizure-Based Marijuana Medication
However, some doctors argue in favor of smaller, restricted doses of marijuana (or marijuana-based products) to treat potentially life-threatening diseases. Similar to the case of Brooke Adams, some physicians have determined that the drug Epidiolex (a cannabis-derived drug) has shown promising results in the treatment of two rare forms of epilepsy.
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