Child’s Condition Greatly Improves Thanks to Colorado’s MMJ Program
“She didn’t have any quality of life last year. Her life is better because we added cannabis” says the parent of three year old Vivian who suffers from Dravet syndrome, a form of epilepsy. The Wilson family is another success story of a family that had left their home state to seek out the benefits of medical marijuana available in Colorado. Vivian, at just three years old, suffered from daily seizures due to Dravet syndrome which could be triggered by elements as simple as exposure to sunlight. Leaving their home in New Jersey they traveled to Colorado upon hearing about children with similar symptoms who greatly benefited from medical marijuana.
This migration of families to Colorado for their children began roughly three years ago once word spread about another child suffering from Dravet syndrome, Charlotte Figi. Thanks to a specialized strain of cannabis which contained a high amount of CBD and a low amount of THC, Charlotte went from 300 seizures a week to none for a week straight. Due to the success of Charlotte’s treatment, brothers in Colorado Springs who are marijuana growers developed their own strain of hemp that was similar to what Charlotte benefited from. The brothers are now growing the strain to help 130 children, naming the strain after Charlotte calling it “Charlotte’s Web”. It has been reported that “Charlotte’s Web” has reduced seizure activity in 80 percent of children who require it.
The Wilson family is happy to be in a state where there is a system that works for them and is beneficial to their child’s health. With families heading to Colorado for its openness and understanding of the health benefits cannabis can provide it will be interesting to see how this influences other states in the coming years. The proof on the necessity of cannabis to be treated as a medicine is everywhere.
Source for this blog provided by: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/09/medical_marijuana_nj_child_improves_as_family_finds_fewer_roadblocks_in_colorado.html