Summary: Medical marijuana usage is now allowed for those with certain seizure conditions in Georgia because of the efforts of the Cox family and the awareness raised through Haleigh’s Hope Act.
Marijuana is becoming an increasingly effective and popular drug at treating conditions that otherwise don’t respond to traditional medications. Georgia is the latest state to pass a medical marijuana bill that allows usage for specific conditions. There are now 24 states plus Washington DC that allow the use of medical marijuana, however each state has its own guidelines on the prices charged and the amount that can be bought at one time.
Governor Nathan Deal passed bill HB1, also called Haleigh’s Hope Act, in response to a family’s experience with using marijuana extract treatment on their daughter. The bill will allow the use of low-THC cannabis oil as well as create an infrastructure, registration process and research program for the drug. The Cox family had moved to treat their five year old daughter in Colorado after traditional anti-seizure medications were making things worse. She was experiencing hundreds of seizures each day that were causing her to stop breathing several times. Her doctors gave her three months to live, prompting the family’s desperate need to try other treatments.
Once arriving in Colorado, Haleigh started on a schedule of five treatments a day, four during the day and one at night. Her condition improved immediately with her smiling, using words, and looking at people. Haleigh had not smiled for three years. The Cox family has now moved back to Georgia, where their little girl can continue receiving the treatments that have given her a future.
The bill is only for those with chronic seizure disorders. Those affected will also be allowed to receive in-state treatment. With so many states passing measures to allow medical marijuana treatments, there is increasing research being conducted to study the effects of the drug on ailments. However, since marijuana is restricted and still considered illegal to grow, sell, or use, research is very hard to conduct.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/16/us/georgia-medical-marijuana-bill-signing-haleigh-cox/
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