Robert Celt
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In the six weeks since nine-year-old Haley Hilt began taking medical marijuana, her mother has already seen improvement.
Haley's movements have become more purposeful. She's more mobile. She's trying to feed herself, and attempting to crawl. She's able to stretch out her arm and give hugs and kisses, and she's better at locating objects with the special computer she uses at school.
Most importantly, she's having fewer seizures – between one and two per week, down from five to seven.
"It's almost surreal," Melissa Hilt told me, on a recent visit to their East Schodack home. "It's like we've really gotten to know who she is during the past month. She's blossomed."
Haley has a rare form of epilepsy that has caused her to suffer from seizures since she was a baby. She cannot walk or talk or perform the basic tasks of daily living on her own, such as combing her hair or brushing her teeth. The improvements she's made on medical marijuana has given her family hope that one day she'll be able to do some of these things on her own.
"It could change our entire life," Hilt said. "Typically we have to get up 45 minutes earlier to get Haley ready for school. It takes extra time to feed her."
I met Hilt and Haley in early 2015, after New York's medical marijuana law had been signed into law but before the state's program was up and running. Hilt had advocated for the legalization of medical marijuana, and was eager to see Haley benefit it.
The girl I met a year ago spent most of my visit in her grandfather's arms. She seemed to have little control over her arms and legs, and was unable to sit up on her own. When I visited the Hilts earlier this month, Haley was sitting in her wheelchair and seemed more alert and attentive and in better control of her movements. She made noises and showed affection toward her mother, putting her arm out and hugging her neck as Hilt had described.
"Typically we've had to strap her in to the wheelchair," said Hilt, a registered nurse. "But we're doing that less and less." She's also using a walker and even rode a tricycle for special-needs children at school.
"I hoped she'd get to this level, but it's happened quicker than I expected," Hilt said.
It was great to see Haley and Hilt again and hear about their positive experience with medical marijuana, which so far has proven to be everything Hilt had hoped. But the experience hasn't been without its frustrations and logistical hurdles.
Haley takes a specific strain of medical marijuana known to help children with her particular seizure disorder, but it isn't sold at either of the Capital Region medical marijuana dispensaries. So the Hilts have gone to dispensaries in Binghamton and White Plains to fill her prescription, which comes in oil form and is ingested orally, twice a day.
Another concern is cost.
Right now, Haley is on a low dose of medical marijuana, but the Hilts expect her dosage to increase over time. One bottle of Haley's medical marijuana costs $180, and the Hilts expect that medical marijuana will eventually cost them about $500 a month at current prices.
"The prices are astronomical," Hilt said. "My husband and I have an amazing support system through our families and church, and Haley will get what she needs."
Other families, she said, might not be as fortunate. Another problem, she said, is that the list of physicians who are willing to prescribe medical marijuana is still fairly small – 471 physicians had registered for the New York State Medical Marijuana program as of March 22, according to the state Department of Health.
"Medical marijuana is definitely not available to everybody who needs it," Hilt said.
Julie Netherland, director of the Office of Academic Engagement for the Drug Policy Alliance, which pushed to legalize medical marijuana in New York, echoed Hilt's concerns.
She said that too many patients are having trouble finding doctors to prescribe medical marijuana for them, and that the limited number of dispensaries throughout the state – 16 dispensaries are open, and 20 are planned – have resulted in long trips for some patients. "Even if they do manage to jump through all the hoops, we're also hearing that it's not affordable," she said. "That's the top concern we're dealing with now."
Another issue is the limited list of ailments that make someone eligible for medical marijuana in New York. Just 10 conditions are covered, and advocates believe the list should be expanded to include others, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
"We've got a program that very few New Yorkers can use," Netherland said.
According to DOH, 2,039 New Yorkers have been certified by their doctors.
There are bills in the state Legislature that would address the concerns of advocates, and they serious deserve consideration.
The limited number of dispensaries, small number of participating physicians and high prices have made obtaining medical marijuana a challenge for many people. While the state's desire to establish a tightly-controlled, well-managed program is understandable, it has led to unnecessary problems, the most troubling of which might be an expensive product that many will find difficult, if not impossible, to afford.
Flawed as the New York medical marijuana program might be, it's better than nothing.
The goal now should be to improve and expand it.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Special-Needs Child Blossoms With Help Of Medical Marijuana
Author: Sara Foss
Photo Credit: None found
Website: The Daily Gazette
Haley's movements have become more purposeful. She's more mobile. She's trying to feed herself, and attempting to crawl. She's able to stretch out her arm and give hugs and kisses, and she's better at locating objects with the special computer she uses at school.
Most importantly, she's having fewer seizures – between one and two per week, down from five to seven.
"It's almost surreal," Melissa Hilt told me, on a recent visit to their East Schodack home. "It's like we've really gotten to know who she is during the past month. She's blossomed."
Haley has a rare form of epilepsy that has caused her to suffer from seizures since she was a baby. She cannot walk or talk or perform the basic tasks of daily living on her own, such as combing her hair or brushing her teeth. The improvements she's made on medical marijuana has given her family hope that one day she'll be able to do some of these things on her own.
"It could change our entire life," Hilt said. "Typically we have to get up 45 minutes earlier to get Haley ready for school. It takes extra time to feed her."
I met Hilt and Haley in early 2015, after New York's medical marijuana law had been signed into law but before the state's program was up and running. Hilt had advocated for the legalization of medical marijuana, and was eager to see Haley benefit it.
The girl I met a year ago spent most of my visit in her grandfather's arms. She seemed to have little control over her arms and legs, and was unable to sit up on her own. When I visited the Hilts earlier this month, Haley was sitting in her wheelchair and seemed more alert and attentive and in better control of her movements. She made noises and showed affection toward her mother, putting her arm out and hugging her neck as Hilt had described.
"Typically we've had to strap her in to the wheelchair," said Hilt, a registered nurse. "But we're doing that less and less." She's also using a walker and even rode a tricycle for special-needs children at school.
"I hoped she'd get to this level, but it's happened quicker than I expected," Hilt said.
It was great to see Haley and Hilt again and hear about their positive experience with medical marijuana, which so far has proven to be everything Hilt had hoped. But the experience hasn't been without its frustrations and logistical hurdles.
Haley takes a specific strain of medical marijuana known to help children with her particular seizure disorder, but it isn't sold at either of the Capital Region medical marijuana dispensaries. So the Hilts have gone to dispensaries in Binghamton and White Plains to fill her prescription, which comes in oil form and is ingested orally, twice a day.
Another concern is cost.
Right now, Haley is on a low dose of medical marijuana, but the Hilts expect her dosage to increase over time. One bottle of Haley's medical marijuana costs $180, and the Hilts expect that medical marijuana will eventually cost them about $500 a month at current prices.
"The prices are astronomical," Hilt said. "My husband and I have an amazing support system through our families and church, and Haley will get what she needs."
Other families, she said, might not be as fortunate. Another problem, she said, is that the list of physicians who are willing to prescribe medical marijuana is still fairly small – 471 physicians had registered for the New York State Medical Marijuana program as of March 22, according to the state Department of Health.
"Medical marijuana is definitely not available to everybody who needs it," Hilt said.
Julie Netherland, director of the Office of Academic Engagement for the Drug Policy Alliance, which pushed to legalize medical marijuana in New York, echoed Hilt's concerns.
She said that too many patients are having trouble finding doctors to prescribe medical marijuana for them, and that the limited number of dispensaries throughout the state – 16 dispensaries are open, and 20 are planned – have resulted in long trips for some patients. "Even if they do manage to jump through all the hoops, we're also hearing that it's not affordable," she said. "That's the top concern we're dealing with now."
Another issue is the limited list of ailments that make someone eligible for medical marijuana in New York. Just 10 conditions are covered, and advocates believe the list should be expanded to include others, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
"We've got a program that very few New Yorkers can use," Netherland said.
According to DOH, 2,039 New Yorkers have been certified by their doctors.
There are bills in the state Legislature that would address the concerns of advocates, and they serious deserve consideration.
The limited number of dispensaries, small number of participating physicians and high prices have made obtaining medical marijuana a challenge for many people. While the state's desire to establish a tightly-controlled, well-managed program is understandable, it has led to unnecessary problems, the most troubling of which might be an expensive product that many will find difficult, if not impossible, to afford.
Flawed as the New York medical marijuana program might be, it's better than nothing.
The goal now should be to improve and expand it.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Special-Needs Child Blossoms With Help Of Medical Marijuana
Author: Sara Foss
Photo Credit: None found
Website: The Daily Gazette
