Ever since the dawn of the medical marijuana card, there has been rife debate over whether children should be allowed to be entered into the MMJ card scheme. The issue has long been a touchy subject, with arguments on both sides insistent that they’re morally right.
Not helping the pro-MMJ card for kids side is detrimental media portrayals of medical marijuana and those who benefit from it – especially parents. In many parts of America, marijuana is still viewed as a recreational drug whose only use is to get its users high. Unfortunately, this negative press means that the issue of children and medical marijuana is rarely explored rationally.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the vast majority of the MMJ card naysayers are people who don’t have very sick children themselves. Having been untouched by the tragedy of having a helplessly ill child, the ‘no’ debaters’ opinions on the topic often lack validity, clarity and worst of all, empathy.
Although many Americans believe allowing children to have medical marijuana cards is not right, desperate parents all over the country feel like they have nowhere else to turn after pharmaceuticals fail them time and time again. What can start as a desperate last hope for relief, can become a gentle, effective treatment plan that sees their little ones get their lives back.
The Effect Use of MMJ on Children
Medical marijuana is currently being used to treat a number of life limiting conditions in children like cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy and other neuromuscular diseases.
It’s not surprising that a majority of the MMJ card naysayers are those who have not tried everything else imaginable to help their sick child.
One thing that the kiddy MMJ card naysayers are right about is that like all other children, cannabis card carrying kids should not be smoking the plant. For this reason, most parents treat their children with medical marijuana tinctures. A tincture is an concentrated form of MMJ that is made by mixing the beneficial elements of the plant in an alcohol based solution.
Administering MMJ to your child via a tincture is really easy and can be done simply and discreetly whenever your child needs to consume. The tincture essentially looks like an eyedropper and you use it by dropping the solution directly into your child’s mouth, or into their food. If your child is picky about taste, you can opt instead to drop it onto their skin and rub it in.
A common argument for the banning of children having medical marijuana cards is the worry that by using MMJ, children are exposed to the psychoactive parts of the plant. But what if a non-psychoactive strain could be developed? Well that’s exactly what some American scientists have done.
Charlotte Figi’s Medical Marijuana Story
The Charlotte’s Web strain – named after Charlotte Figi, a 5-year-old Colorado girl who suffers from Dravet’s syndrome – is a strictly medicinal form of MMJ that has been specially bred to not contain THC, a.k.a. the psychoactive element of the cannabis plant. Although the strain is still in its infancy, scientists are optimistic that it could be used to effectively – and gently – treat seizures in young children.
When Charlotte herself began treatment with this new wonder strain, she was initially given very low, non-psychoactive doses. In the week that followed her initial treatment, she went a full seven days without a seizure, down from the 300 that she had the previous week. Eight months later, she saw a 99% seizure reduction.
With this trial in mind, it’s clear to see how medical marijuana can be positively life-changing for certain children. With a medical marijuana card, they can live fuller, happier lives, not weighed down by the negative symptoms of their ailments.
Choose the Type of MMJ Wisely When It Comes to Kids
However, we must also take away from this trial that when it comes to treating a child with medical marijuana, choosing the right strain is key. There are plenty of other child-friendly strains on the market if you can’t get your hands on Charlotte’s Web. Strains like Harlequin and AC/DC are just as effective at treating various ailments and come with little to no psychoactive effects, thanks to the fact that they are high in CBD and low in THC.
If you’re considering using MMJ on your child, you must consult with your child’s doctor before embarking on a medical marijuana treatment plan.
It’s important to remember that as is the same case with adults, every child will not respond to medical marijuana treatment the same way. Effectiveness of the treatment will vary among different children, with some of them simply not being compatible with the drug. It’s vitally important that you consult with your child’s doctor before they embark on a medical marijuana treatment plan.
Whether you are for or against the use of medical marijuana to treat sick children, you can’t deny the mountains of evidence piling up to suggest that MMJ is an effective, kind treatment for sick children. Children across the country are seeing the very real results of being on a medical marijuana treatment plan, with many of them getting full control of their life debilitating illnesses.
If you feel like your child could benefit from having their own medical marijuana card, get in touch with us today and we’ll guide you through this life changing process.