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At 18 months, most children are beginning to run, talk and play with toys, but Cameron Bush's mind remains in infancy, the effect of the spasms that wrack his body 20 times a day or more. Doctors already have tried three different medications to try to control the damage being done to his mind. A steroid that must be injected twice a day left him moody and gave him a ravenous appetite. Another drug caused his appetite to disappear. The latest might leave him partially blind.
None of those drugs have stopped the spasms, and his parents, Sandy and Brian Bush, are eager to try a drug derived from marijuana. On Monday, they drove to Nashville from Knoxville to try to convince Tennessee lawmakers to allow that to happen. "It's just really hard for us to see that happening in other states and then not have it as an option for us," Sandy Bush said. "We were hoping for them to meet Cam, to see that we're just a regular family trying to help our child."
With many states legalizing marijuana, backers of medical cannabis took their case to the Tennessee legislature Monday, in the hope of lining up new supporters for House Bill 1385, a measure that would let people who suffer from a handful of chronic or debilitating illnesses buy the drug for their own use. The Bushes believe Cameron's seizures may be controlled by "Charlotte's Web," a liquid distilled form of marijuana largely free of the chemical that causes users to get high. Others believe the drug could ease nausea from cancer treatment, provide relief to the pain from multiple sclerosis and help those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
About two dozen people living with such conditions and their families traveled to Nashville to lobby lawmakers. Their initial goal is to convince at least one Republican lawmaker to co-sponsor the measure. "We know full well that unless this bill is sponsored in a bipartisan way, it has no hope," said Bernie Ellis, a longtime activist for medical marijuana. Proponents stressed Monday that HB 1385, also known as the Koozer-Kuhn Medical Cannabis Act, would maintain the state's ban on recreational marijuana use. The drug would be available only through pharmacies and "dispensaries" regulated by the state, and it would be sold only to people suffering from specific medical conditions.
They also argued that medical marijuana would generate tax revenue for the state, without significantly increasing its availability. The Bushes said they managed to arrange meetings with three Republican lawmakers on Monday. They described their reception as sympathetic but lukewarm. "It's not going to be an easy sell," said Ellis.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Tennessean.com
Author: Chas Sisk
Contact: Tennessean Online | The Tennessean
Website: Families lobby for medical marijuana | The Tennessean | tennessean.com
None of those drugs have stopped the spasms, and his parents, Sandy and Brian Bush, are eager to try a drug derived from marijuana. On Monday, they drove to Nashville from Knoxville to try to convince Tennessee lawmakers to allow that to happen. "It's just really hard for us to see that happening in other states and then not have it as an option for us," Sandy Bush said. "We were hoping for them to meet Cam, to see that we're just a regular family trying to help our child."
With many states legalizing marijuana, backers of medical cannabis took their case to the Tennessee legislature Monday, in the hope of lining up new supporters for House Bill 1385, a measure that would let people who suffer from a handful of chronic or debilitating illnesses buy the drug for their own use. The Bushes believe Cameron's seizures may be controlled by "Charlotte's Web," a liquid distilled form of marijuana largely free of the chemical that causes users to get high. Others believe the drug could ease nausea from cancer treatment, provide relief to the pain from multiple sclerosis and help those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
About two dozen people living with such conditions and their families traveled to Nashville to lobby lawmakers. Their initial goal is to convince at least one Republican lawmaker to co-sponsor the measure. "We know full well that unless this bill is sponsored in a bipartisan way, it has no hope," said Bernie Ellis, a longtime activist for medical marijuana. Proponents stressed Monday that HB 1385, also known as the Koozer-Kuhn Medical Cannabis Act, would maintain the state's ban on recreational marijuana use. The drug would be available only through pharmacies and "dispensaries" regulated by the state, and it would be sold only to people suffering from specific medical conditions.
They also argued that medical marijuana would generate tax revenue for the state, without significantly increasing its availability. The Bushes said they managed to arrange meetings with three Republican lawmakers on Monday. They described their reception as sympathetic but lukewarm. "It's not going to be an easy sell," said Ellis.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Tennessean.com
Author: Chas Sisk
Contact: Tennessean Online | The Tennessean
Website: Families lobby for medical marijuana | The Tennessean | tennessean.com
