Friday , March 29 2024
Home / Alabama Marijuana News / Alabama Legislator Fighting to Legalize Medical Marijuana Oil

Alabama Legislator Fighting to Legalize Medical Marijuana Oil

Cannabis

State Representative Mike Ball has introduced Leni’s Law to state legislators. This comes after Carly’s Law, a previously supported bill introduced in 2014. The proposal comes as an effort to help support families with obtaining medical marijuana oils to treat serious medical conditions, including epilepsy.

Leni’s Law was heard by the House Judiciary Committee with public testimony on Wednesday. Many families and their children attended, reports The Cullman Times. These families request immediate action, but faced opposition. Law enforcement officials and medical professionals stressed that caution is needed to proceed.

The namesake of the law, Leni Young, was diagnosed with epilepsy after birth following an in-utero stroke. He also has a rare form of cerebral palsy which requires multiple medications to treat. Leni suffered from hundreds of seizures a day before beginning the use of CBD oil. Medications rotted Leni’s teeth and made her lethargic. The family moved to Oregon so that they could obtain CBD oil and claim that they noticed improvements to her seizure disorder and overall mood within an hour of the first dose.  Leni now has a promising prognosis of surviving through her adolescent years.

Wayne Young, Leni’s father, said, “Our daughter is living proof that this works, and having free and unencumbered access to it is the key.”

Physicians are urging the state to consider Epidiolex, a synthetic product containing 0.2-percent THC over a natural CBD oil containing 3-percent THC. A pediatrician, Dr. Shannon Murphy, says that 3-percent THC is too potent for use by children. Other medical professionals share the same opinion.

Dr. Murphy said, “We have an issue with the content of the product. We cannot guarantee the purity, potency and consistency.”

Epidiolex has proven to be successful, as Carly Chandler (Carly’s Law namesake) has had a reduction in seizures from 300 per day down to several over the course of a week. Her father, Dustin Chandler said, “If you’ve never been able to connect through your child’s eyes, and then you are able to connect through her eyes, it is one of the most Godly things on this planet.”

No date has been given for the voting by the committee on this bill as of yet. The bill remains in the hands of the Judiciary committee.