Medical Marijuana

4 Year Old Kicks Cancer With Cannabis, Source: http://www.medicalmarijuanablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/medical-marijuana-case.pngHere is yet another marijuana success story that flies directly in the face of its schedule I federal status designation of “no medical use.”

Four year old boy Landon Riddle was diagnosed with leukemia and prescribed a rigorous treatment of chemotherapy and a myriad of anti-cancer pills. As is often the case with cancer treatments, they seem to make the patient far worse than the disease itself.

The Riddle’s relocated from Utah to Colorado when Child Protective Services told her that she was at risk of losing Landon because she refused to give him the chemo medication. Can you imagine? That’s like a Greek tragedy. Either slowly poison your son or we will take him from you? That’s a crock of horseshit. Once in Colorado, Landon’s mom procured some CBD oil and began treatment.

Wanting better results, Landon’s mother opted to try something that many have frowned upon. She has Landon use a vaporizer to take his cannabis. This is a hot issue in the ‘medical marijuana for children’ discussion. CBD oil has had nearly all of the THC removed, but with vaping, even if it’s a high CBD strain, there is going to be some THC that gets through because of the high heat.

“Dr. Larry Wolk, Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, fears what could happen if Landon continues to use marijuana. ‘I’m concerned because we don’t yet know what the potential harmful effects of vaping or eating those kind of products are,’ Wolk said. He said they know marijuana can harm brain development in children. Figures from the state registry show 357 children under the age of 18 now have marijuana registry cards, and 110 of them are from 5 to 10 years old, with 104 between 1 and 5. At the Riddle home the risks seem to be far outweighed by the perceived benefits.”

This is a tough issue to debate, but an exceedingly easy choice to make for a mother. As a parent myself, I would most certainly take a chance with the unknowns of cannabis and child development than have a child who is so sick they can’t get out of bed or, worse, dies and has no chance to develop anyway.

And how is Landon since he’s been vaping?

His mother says he’s 100 times better and lives a healthy active life. When pressed on why, if Landon is better, she still gives him marijuana, she says (while making a cannabis smoothie for Landon) she fears a relapse.

It’s hard to know if Landon would have recovered had he taken the legal, FDA approved pills. But I’m going with a mother’s instinct on this one. She followed the traditional protocol and watched as her precious little boy withered on the vine. After making the switch to cannabis, she has given both her and her son a new opportunity to thrive, and with alarming speed as well. Results speak for themselves, even with chemo, the cancer survival rate is not great. It seems like marijuana might be the White Knight in this battle that can tip the balance in favor of survival.