Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Testimony for and against the Texas Compassionate Use Act, which would make medical marijuana a treatment option for people with forms of intractable epilepsy, will begin this afternoon in the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.
Senate Bill 339, by Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, would allow the use of cannabidiol heavy oils, which have been effective for patients suffering with extreme epileptic condition. Thousands of sufferers across Texas are young children.
Some conditions cause hundreds of seizures a day.
Eltife said patients with intractable epilepsy have seen dramatic reductions in seizures through the use of CBD oil without exhibiting adverse reactions that occur with pharmaceutical drugs.
“This is about getting patients, most of them children, the medicine they need to live and function,” he said. “We can do something to help these families.”
As the bill was laid out before the committee, a few senators voiced one of the concerns among conservatives - that the bill represents “the camel’s nose under the tent,” which would usher in expanded access to marijuana, including recreational use.
Eltife assured the bill is tightly drawn and welcomed any suggestions regarding regulation of the drug.
“Because of its low THC levels it will be of no interest to recreational drug users and have no street value,” he said. “I know there is controversy around anything that contains the word marijuana but I just ask you to put yourself in the place of these parents who will testify today."
One of Eltife’s constituents hoped to be in Austin to testify.
Marcy Bingham, a registered nurse from Troup, has an 8-year-old son with Dravet syndrome, a genetic disorder that has been treated with CBD oils in states like Colorado.
Mrs. Bingham said her son, Jacob, has strep throat. Any sickness exacerbates seizures, she said.
“We wanted to be there,” she said. “He’s just not stable enough for us to travel. But I am sure our doctors and other parents will provide testimony that will shed light on what we face every day and the ray of hope that Sen. Eltife’s bill represents.”
Paige Figi, mother of an 8-year-old Dravet patient, Charlotte Figi, whose treatment and response to CBD oils has been nationally documented and shifted the public debate regarding medical marijuana, traveled from Colorado to testify in support of a companion bill before a House committee Tuesday. MissFigi suffered hundreds of seizures each week before she began taking daily doses of the oil.
Miss Figi was immobile, on a feeding tube and under a Do Not Resuscitate order before treatment began. Since she began treatment, the frequency and severity of seizures have subsided and she has shown dramatic physical and cognitive improvement.
Mrs. Bingham hopes Miss Figi, Jacob and other children continue to change perceptions of medicinal marijuana in Texas.
Because the legal aspect of their situation is problematic, the Binghams are preparing to move to Colorado if the legislation stalls. She knows the drug can help their son but they would face a felony and Child Protective Services removing their children if the drug is found in Jacob’s system.
“We just bought a travel trailer for the move but we don’t want to,” she said. “Our jobs, our family, schools, everything is here but we’re out of options here unless they change the law. I hope (legislators) hear the voices today.”
Intractable epilepsy afflicts an estimated 149,000 people in Texas. Patients with intractable epilepsy can suffer hundreds of severe seizures each week. Intractable epileptics are at a higher risk for a shortened life span, excessive bodily injury, neurophyscological and mental health impairment, and social disability.
Senate Bill 339 and House Bill 892 would regulate the growth and dispensation of cannabidiol oils.
The drug would be regulated by the Department of Public Safety and dispensed by licensed non-profits, according to the bill. The department also will enforce compliance with the compassionate-use registry.
The bill would require two doctors agree the drug would benefit the patient.
The Texas Epilepsy Foundation supports the bills.
The Texas Medical Association, one of the most powerful medical lobbies in the state, does not support the use of medical marijuana because the drug has not been properly studied, it says. Other law enforcement groups, including the Texas Sheriff’s Association have opposed the bill.
Pro-cannabis groups have said the bill does not go far enough to help millions of patients in Texas with chronic diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, PTSD and migraines.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Tyler Morning Telegraph - Troup family pleads for right to use medical marijuana
Author: Adam Russell
Contact: arussell@tylerpaper.com
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Tyler Morning Telegraph - Home
Senate Bill 339, by Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, would allow the use of cannabidiol heavy oils, which have been effective for patients suffering with extreme epileptic condition. Thousands of sufferers across Texas are young children.
Some conditions cause hundreds of seizures a day.
Eltife said patients with intractable epilepsy have seen dramatic reductions in seizures through the use of CBD oil without exhibiting adverse reactions that occur with pharmaceutical drugs.
“This is about getting patients, most of them children, the medicine they need to live and function,” he said. “We can do something to help these families.”
As the bill was laid out before the committee, a few senators voiced one of the concerns among conservatives - that the bill represents “the camel’s nose under the tent,” which would usher in expanded access to marijuana, including recreational use.
Eltife assured the bill is tightly drawn and welcomed any suggestions regarding regulation of the drug.
“Because of its low THC levels it will be of no interest to recreational drug users and have no street value,” he said. “I know there is controversy around anything that contains the word marijuana but I just ask you to put yourself in the place of these parents who will testify today."
One of Eltife’s constituents hoped to be in Austin to testify.
Marcy Bingham, a registered nurse from Troup, has an 8-year-old son with Dravet syndrome, a genetic disorder that has been treated with CBD oils in states like Colorado.
Mrs. Bingham said her son, Jacob, has strep throat. Any sickness exacerbates seizures, she said.
“We wanted to be there,” she said. “He’s just not stable enough for us to travel. But I am sure our doctors and other parents will provide testimony that will shed light on what we face every day and the ray of hope that Sen. Eltife’s bill represents.”
Paige Figi, mother of an 8-year-old Dravet patient, Charlotte Figi, whose treatment and response to CBD oils has been nationally documented and shifted the public debate regarding medical marijuana, traveled from Colorado to testify in support of a companion bill before a House committee Tuesday. MissFigi suffered hundreds of seizures each week before she began taking daily doses of the oil.
Miss Figi was immobile, on a feeding tube and under a Do Not Resuscitate order before treatment began. Since she began treatment, the frequency and severity of seizures have subsided and she has shown dramatic physical and cognitive improvement.
Mrs. Bingham hopes Miss Figi, Jacob and other children continue to change perceptions of medicinal marijuana in Texas.
Because the legal aspect of their situation is problematic, the Binghams are preparing to move to Colorado if the legislation stalls. She knows the drug can help their son but they would face a felony and Child Protective Services removing their children if the drug is found in Jacob’s system.
“We just bought a travel trailer for the move but we don’t want to,” she said. “Our jobs, our family, schools, everything is here but we’re out of options here unless they change the law. I hope (legislators) hear the voices today.”
Intractable epilepsy afflicts an estimated 149,000 people in Texas. Patients with intractable epilepsy can suffer hundreds of severe seizures each week. Intractable epileptics are at a higher risk for a shortened life span, excessive bodily injury, neurophyscological and mental health impairment, and social disability.
Senate Bill 339 and House Bill 892 would regulate the growth and dispensation of cannabidiol oils.
The drug would be regulated by the Department of Public Safety and dispensed by licensed non-profits, according to the bill. The department also will enforce compliance with the compassionate-use registry.
The bill would require two doctors agree the drug would benefit the patient.
The Texas Epilepsy Foundation supports the bills.
The Texas Medical Association, one of the most powerful medical lobbies in the state, does not support the use of medical marijuana because the drug has not been properly studied, it says. Other law enforcement groups, including the Texas Sheriff’s Association have opposed the bill.
Pro-cannabis groups have said the bill does not go far enough to help millions of patients in Texas with chronic diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, PTSD and migraines.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Tyler Morning Telegraph - Troup family pleads for right to use medical marijuana
Author: Adam Russell
Contact: arussell@tylerpaper.com
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Tyler Morning Telegraph - Home
