Undoubtedly, had the little girl been able to use any other type of seizure medicine, the school system wouldn't have prohibited her attendance. While medical marijuana is legal in Chicago, current laws prevent students from using or possessing cannabis while at school.
While it is obvious that students shouldn't be able to smoke joints in class -- allowing an 11-year-old cancer survivor to wear a patch or take cannabis oil drops to prevent seizures is a far different circumstance, don't you think?
As Daily Mail reports, the Chicago family is now suing the school district to fight for their daughter's right to attend school.
Doctors prescribed the young girl medical cannabis towards the end of 2017, to treat her chemotherapy-acquired epilepsy. Four years of grueling cancer treatments for leukemia left her with debilitating seizures. Leukemia is a blood cancer, and is the most common form of cancer seen in children under the age of 15. The chemotherapy used to treat these children can increase their risk of seizures or seizure disorders.
Though the cannabis patch and oil drops have finally helped Ashley to be healthy enough to return to school, district officials in Chicago now stand in her way.
Andy DuRoss, Superintendent of Schaumburg School District 54 explained that the Illinois Medical Cannabis Act prevents the use of medical marijuana on school grounds. DuRoss added that while officials are concerned for Ashley's health, this law must be upheld and they cannot legally allow her to attend.
But, the family was determined to help their child, and they're not taking "no" for an answer. According to her parents, by refusing to allow the 11-year-old to attend school, the district is violating both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ultimately, the parents said they feel this so-called law is unconstitutional.
According to reports, the Illinois Attorney General declared that Ashley could attend school just a few days after the lawsuit was launched. School officials agreed to administer the girl's medication until they received further clarification from the AG. Until the state law is addressed, Ashley Surin is free and clear to attend school and take the medicine she needs to prevent seizures.
Were they dealing with any other seizure medicine, none of this hoopla would have even been necessary, of course -- because only plant medicines are capable of causing so much controversy. But, a growing number of children are being treated for seizure disorders (which can be life-threatening) with cannabis oil and other related products.
In addition to the anecdotal stories of children becoming nearly seizure-free with cannabis, after years of failed pharmaceutical treatments, there is a growing body of scientific evidence to support the plant's therapeutic benefits.
During the summer of 2017, a breakthrough study showed that cannabidiol (CBD), one of the medicinal compounds in the cannabis plant, was supremely effective at reducing seizure frequency in kids with Dravet syndrome. Dravet syndrome is a severe seizure disorder -- affected children regularly experience multiple, prolonged seizures that can be quite damaging. In many cases, conventional treatment fails to help these kids. But, the researchers of this study found that on average, CBD oil could reduce seizure occurrence by up to 50 percent.
There's little doubt that the application of cannabis for medical use will continue to grow, but will the laws keep up?
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