Mother Gives 9-Year-Old Son Pot: Therapeutic Or Psychotic?

janessadawn
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 08:19 am: [report]

She needs to remember that marijuana is not without its own slew of side effects.  Her cavalier attitude toward a mind-altering substance concerns me: do she and her husband ingest it as casually?  Do they then get behind the wheel?

It’s good that his pica has ceased, but an entire life stoned doesn’t seem to be a good thing.  Just like any other ‘drug’ the day will come when he wants to stop taking it, and it will likely stop working as well the longer he is on it so his ‘dose’ will have to be increased exponentially if he is to live a long life.

Riley
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 08:20 am: [report]

I think a lot of people will judge her because marijuana has been given a bad reputation. 

The largest issue is that she is seeing improvement in his daily quality of life.  More distinct isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it would be easier to treat a more distinct problem versus an ambiguous one.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 08:24 am: [report]

I don’t think this is good for the average kid, but I support it for autism. In autism the brain is misaligned anyway, and I think this will help those symptoms.

The average kid shouldn’t have it before 16 due to neurological changes (Brain is wiring itself for adulthood).

_jsw_
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 08:27 am: [report]

Having read the entire article, I’m completely on her side. Marijuana can be overused, as can exercise or cheese or aspirin or, really, anything. However, in this case, it’s been prescribed by a doctor and has resulted in a significant positive change in her child. Whatever negative effects it might have seem minor compared to the fact that he is no longer violent, no longer in constant pain, and no longer eating his clothing.

If my children had his issues and I lived in a state where this was a legal treatment, I’d try it as well. Kudos to her, and I hope it continues to work.

skywalk
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 08:30 am: [report]

Look at some of the drugs they give kids for autism or ADHD or various other issues, the kids are running around high all day anyways & they are not a natural drug and have more side effects.  That is why my mother stopped giving my brother the meds for ADHD and this made her job harder but she didn’t want him going around high all day & having side effects.  If she (this mom) was smoking it with him I would have more of a problem and that is the great thing about marijuana a little bit goes a long way.  Not sure if I personally would do it, but I would have to see the affects of it to make my own to form an opinion.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 08:31 am: [report]

What you talking bout jsw, you can never get enough cheese.

brandyalexander
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 08:35 am: [report]

He’s an osh-kosh b’gosh stoner, add it to teh list.

loveitlala
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 08:54 am: [report]

Other drugs have more side effects than marijuana?!?!?!!  Are you kidding, the high is a side-effect.  The goal is to get the kid as calm and functional as possible.  Any euphoria is considered a side-effect.  And really, unless you’re a doctor or pharmacist you really don’t understand the side effect profiles and how they compare to ritalin, etc.

GreenAura
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:00 am: [report]

Hmmm, well because she is putting it in food, it is definitely much safer than him inhaling any smoke.  Not sure if I agree with her tactics or not, but cannabis is probably a lot better than all the prescription drugs that doctors would try to push on her son.

AgentBeryllium
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:12 am: [report]

Medical marijuana has been proven to help many patients with different aliments like lupus, leukemia, autism, rheumatoid arthritis, panic disorders and so forth. I read this article and if I were in her position I would do anything for my child to improve their quality of life. I would also say that it is a hell’va lot better for you than what drugs the FDA approves. I am still surprised today that no one has sued over the Prozac epidemic. Which was given to a majority of teens in the late 80’s to most of 90’s before they figured out that you shouldn’t give it to children because it makes their symptoms extremely worse to the point to suicide.

To me this is just one option. It wasn’t like she didn’t try the suggested path of treatment. She did and it didn’t work. She chose to treat her son through homeopathy. Which is another right the FDA is trying to remove from us.

treehugr
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:14 am: [report]

@loveitlala- if you read up on prescription drugs given to kids with ADHD and autism spectrum disorders (there’s a great article in scientific american on it)- drugs like ritalin actually have the same effect as cocaine on the child’s brain development. i’m a scientist and i worked as a pharmacy technician for 14 years- i DO know the effects of those drugs and they’re a whole lot more dangerous in my mind than marijuana.

AlisonNoelle
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:17 am: [report]

Ok. As a long time pot smoker myself I will admit that I have THOUGHT about giving it to my kids just to catch a break on especially hellacious days. I have also thought of Nyquil and Sudafed. But thats just it. I thought about it. I would never drug my children and I can’t say that I support this mom doing it either. There are just too many negative side effects. His little brain isn’t all the way developed yet and who knows what kind of damage is happening. Plus it says that while its helped with him acting out in school it has “made his autism more distinct”. So is it not helping in that aspect? SO hard to say.

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:23 am: [report]

This loving mother is giving a natural cannabinoids to her son. The same thing she did when he was born if she breast feed.

For any woman that thinks cannabinoids should be illegal, I say to you. Cut off your breast to prove your conviction, because if you breast feed, the first thing you are doing is giving your baby a big dose of cannabinoids in the breast milk. Thus your minds conviction was betrayed by your own body. To prevent this betrayal from happening you should either cut off your breast so they can’t betray your mind or change your mind so it is no longer betraying your body!

http://www.ebmonline.org/cgi/reprint/230/4/225.pdf

Also Cannabinoids are good for the brain.
Our government patent it before anyone else could!

http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6630507

Something as wholesome as mother’s milk can not be bad for you!

treehugr
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:33 am: [report]

saying its “good” for your body is going a bit far…marijuana has serious detrimental effects on your immune system (your body is unable to fight off infections like the flu). it’s relative though, i don’t think people should be chronic smokers of anything, but this child has autism and it’s in comparison to prescription drugs. and our bodies produce endogenous cannabinoids- so don’t start going crazy with trying to supplement yourself by smoking pot because they’re actually different molecular forms.

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:40 am: [report]

Marijuana has not be shown to cause serious detrimental effects to immune system. Quite spreading lies with no scientific proof!

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:40 am: [report]

@treehugr: That would be from smoking it of course. This child isn’t smoking.

joyy
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:41 am: [report]

My first reaction (as someone who usually approves of cannibis!) was wow, 9 is awfully young.  But ... if she’s seeing improvement in her son’s quality of life ... it just reinforces my current and long-standing disagreement with marijuana being a schedule 1 drug.  If it was schedule 2 or lower (or if she is in a state that allows it), she could have a doctor involved to oversee and advise.  After all, that’s the original purpose of medicine, right?  To help people get better?

retro chic
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:42 am: [report]

And how are these “improvements” and “quality-of-life” measured… and in whose life… hers? Sure it will make her life easier – he’s rendered too passive to bother anyone. That is all I can extract from his so-called miracle behavior changes.

Until there is data detailing the long-term effects on a growing, young child well into adulthood, I take a skeptical eye to this or any substance, and has nothing to do with the fact that it is MJ and all its stigmas or purported healing properties.

Also, because the FDA puts their stamp on a drug doesn’t make it safe either. Kids are the hardest to treat for any disorder/ailment. Their developing systems are too volatile. My sister, a mother of an autistic child, will tell you nothing replaces time-consuming contact and behavior mod to learn to be “in the moment” and connected.

retro chic
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:01 am: [report]

j0yy, I agree with the MD supervision, too, if she could find one who had experience with it. But the very nature (sorry) of any herbalist like her is anti-allopathic, so that would be a picture to see them both in the same room.

With the long-standing MD support of MJ’s use in oncological pain relief, then there should be no problem developing data for study in other areas too. But until then, it’s the child that bears the long-term effects of their parents’ under-/misinformed decisions.

Imo, the way the article reads, it sounds like it’s only improving the quality of her life or anyone else’s around him. While I might agree that a happy mother makes the whole house happy, that is carrying it a bit too far. More info please.

whatshesays
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:11 am: [report]

joyy- agreed with the schedule 1! one of the FDA officials was visiting my college to give a talk and my friend stood up and asked point-blank why marijuana was a schedule 1 drug. he struggled to come up with a good answer.

I have to agree with @jsw- not that doctors know everything, but the fact that the treatment will be monitored by a medical professional is important. After that, it’s the mother (and child)‘s decision. There’s nothing in there about her having a talk with her kid about pot…

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:14 am: [report]

There is nothing wrong with giving a child cannabinoids, if there was, God would not have made it come out of our tits! It’s not that hard to understand!

bumbler
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:21 am: [report]

LibertynJustice

There are many chemicals that are naturally occurring in our bodies but when taken in excess from outside sources can cause serious problems.  Your example does not hold water.

In this case I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt considering her son’s treatment is being overseen by a physician.  I do have retro chic’s reservations about whether this treatment is just making him more passive or actually helping him cope.  It also worries me that a child with autism who already has severe problems communicating may not be able to convey side effects he’s experiencing.

As for the idea that cannabis is ok for all children?  Ridiculous.

MissPandaXD
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:30 am: [report]

Marijuana has incredible healing effects upon cancer patients, especially with lung cancer, breast cancer, and leukemia. There is substantial evidence that the THC can even halt and reverse the damage the cancer cells cause.
It also has shown evidence of expanding cognitive abilities on children under its effects while studying and test taking.

Given this evidence could one not conclude that the THC would have a more positive effect on mental ability and cellular function which is a problem with autistic children vs. damaging?

This mother is not only making her life easier, she is making the life of her son substantially easier. Would a belly full of clothes hurt her more then him? Would slowing down his behavior so he could perhaps process information better benefit him?

Some are focused on the age of the child, but would an autistic child of 9 be that different then one of 26 who is still eating his clothes?

ps- The American Nurse’s Association supports the use of therapeutic marijuana.

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:31 am: [report]

http://www.ebmonline.org/cgi/reprint/230/4/225.pdf

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:34 am: [report]

How about evidence of cannabinoids causing serious problems. Instead of stupid speculation!

SCRMOM
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:53 am: [report]

@LibertynJustineforall: The amount of a drug that gets transferred via breastmilk varies dramatically, but it is always less than the amount that the mother ingests.  There are a lot of factors that determine this - not only the type of drug, but how frequently before nursing it was consumed, the method in which it was consumed, etc.

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:57 am: [report]

The mother does not ingest it, everyone’s body produces endo-cannabinoids. After giving birth, the amount of cannabinoids in the breast milk all mammals increases 1000%.

Every woman who breast feeds is giving the baby cannabinoids from her own body, not drugs she ingested.

bumbler
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:59 am: [report]

I told you that just because something is found naturally in our body does not make it safe to ingest which you were using as proof that pot was good for kids.  There are health benefits to alcohol in moderate amounts as well.  I’m still not going to be giving my children alcohol. 

There is no reason to give children drugs with mind altering effects unless its necessary for therapeutic reasons, not silly things like test scores.  There are side effects that need to be taken into account including memory issues and reaction time issues.  Many prescription drugs have similar or more severe side effects so it needs to be considered in concert with the benefits to decide if it is the right form of TREATMENT.

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:02 am: [report]

Taking aspirin actually prevents the breakdown of endogenous cannabinoids in our systems and “jumpstarts” the natural production.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:02 am: [report]

Christ, cannabinoids is an umbrella term.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:04 am: [report]

Liberty, you’re arguing with the wrong people. We don’t give a crap what you are talking about.

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:08 am: [report]

I don’t care I just like pissing off a bunch of stupid #&@$%

kellieann
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:10 am: [report]

If it’s helping the child then good for them. I would do the same thing if I had children. Marijuana has always helped me. It’s natural and safe!!! LEGALIZE IT!

retro chic
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:11 am: [report]

Thank you, Bumbler.

And Liberty: They can’t test children for this in traditional trials and for the length of time required; it’s illegal.

No one’s disputing any therapeutic benefits in other settings – but hands off the kids until there’s something definitive to support it, then I’m all for it. Years later there are all kinds of miracle drugs that are now backfiring, and in this case the child pays.

bumbler
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:11 am: [report]

This is my problem with pot people.  I think pot should be legalized and taxed to high heaven like cigarettes and alcohol.  But also like cigarettes and alcohol should have an age limit (unless prescribed by a doctor for therapeutic use).  But as soon as they start ranting like the circumcision people I zone out.  “Cut off your breasts!” “Circumcision is like slavery!” “Pot is fine for kids!”

Hysteria and hyperbole is never an opening for rational conversation.

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:12 am: [report]

Not a damn one of you has shown a good reason she should not be allowed to give this to her child or any child for that matter. You have given no scientific proof of damage, only a bunch of bitching and moaning.

bumbler
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:16 am: [report]

Yes, thats how the FDA works.  We start giving drugs to children until it’s proven they ARE harmful.  Not the other way around.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:16 am: [report]

@Liberty: Nor have you shown anything either.

@bumbler: Lol at “pot people”...Pod People ftw.

Riley
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:19 am: [report]

I think children should still be working in factories.  Small hands are great for repairing dangerous machinery and getting in tight areas.  Old enough to lose a hand in the shoe factory or the coal mine, old enough to toke up.

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:20 am: [report]

I have shown that all mammals give it to their young!

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:24 am: [report]

In fact another study showed that if we turn off the cb1 and cb2 receptor in the brain. ALL babies died from starvation.

moogyboobles
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:27 am: [report]

Firstly it’s a shame marijuana with some genuine medical benefits is tarnished as a bad drug so therefore those who can benefit like MS or cancer sufferers (or myself as it’s been shown to help bowel disease) miss out.

It’s just another drug like aspirin or ritalin.  there are side effects and there are benefits.  Unless you have a child with autism you don’t know what lengths you’d go to to improve their quality of life.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:27 am: [report]

THC is not like the other cannabinoids just make them get attached to the mother…ugh neurology.

Riley: Agreed, kids should learn their place early with crippling injuries. It really is a shame that the govt banned the practice here. I’ve got something jammed in my steam engine and I can’t fit in there to get it out.

Humble Bee
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:30 am: [report]

I agree with Retro Chic, my brother has ADHD and there is nothing compared to attention and contact with your child as the best form of treatment. It’s the parents that need the pot, not the kids. If his behavior is out of control, most of us don’t have the patience to deal with it.  Would you rather drug your kid and have him calm down or not drug him but run around trying to get him to quiet down all day? It is very exhausting, but I think it’s worth it for the sake of your kid and his mental wellness in the future. Sometimes I too feel like giving it to my brother, but I’m no doctor so I rather not try. I’m glad its working for her, and I hope that the only side effects he gets are happiness and muchies.

bumbler
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:32 am: [report]

Haha breast milk also contains fats and fat-soluble vitamins that while good in moderation can be harmful if taken in excess or in other forms. 

@Riley I only feed my kids beer and bread when they come home from their 16 hour days in the textile factory.  I hear alcohol is good for their heart health.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:33 am: [report]

@Humble Bee: *eye roll* Moms used to dose their kids with elixers…magic ingredient…*drum roll* opium, and morphine.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:35 am: [report]

@bumbler: Pfft, I keep the beer for myself. My kids only get the bread, and they are happy to get that.

Get back to work you runts!

lea322
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 11:49 am: [report]

I think this topic highlights the issue of overdrugging in America. We want a pill (or herbal supplement) for everything. I do use prescription drugs, take Advil, and use supplements, so I’m not saying everything is bad and we shouldn’t use any of it. But I often feel like people would rather pop a pill for behavioral issues than work on the actual behavior.

I understand that autism goes beyond just behavior, but my point is that this child is not “normal”, and the mother would like him to be more like every other child in his behavior, which is why she is giving him mind-altering substances. Why not instead find a way to love him the way he is and help him to develop in such a way that he can become a member of society without being drugged up all the time?

Maybe I’m making two separate points here…

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 12:03 pm: [report]

http://www.letfreedomgrow.com/articles/james_d.htm

“This is the story of the Sam Project, but probably not the last word.

I have a very large, teenage autistic son. James D. is extremely anxious most of the time. Over time, James developed frequent and unpredictable rages. These rages increased in intensity and frequency, encompassing property destruction, aggression, some SIBs, and a number of police visits. Big and pissed, size does matter! James reached the point of severe anxiety and explosive rage 24/7. Life with our son became close to impossible. ”

portisheart
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 01:21 pm: [report]

I really feel like people need the whole article in order to correctly judge this.

I’m so glad that this little boy is doing better.

LibertynJusticeforall
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 04:39 pm: [report]

@bumbler

Breast milk is not the only reason I listed as proof cannabinoids are good for the brain. The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services hold the patent on Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprotectants

http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6630507

Now you might be one of those people who can read this patent and say OK, cannabinoids are antioxidant drugs that may have particular application as neuroprotectants, but we have not tested it. Yes, our government has, back in 1974 at the University of Virginia. Nixon tried to prove it caused brain tumors. Now hear me out on this, I can show proof! They found it kills brain cancer cell and leaves the normal brain cells alone. The study was quickly shut down and Nixon told the public only a half truth, it kills brain cells. Well, in 1998 the study got leaked, Spain picked up the research and found that does kill cancer. Then The SETH Group, a group of molecular pharmacologist and neurologist from California began studying it.

“Using the same tests that are used to judge new chemotherapies, the team discovered that the herbal compound kills human GBM cells at a concentration that is nontoxic to normal brain cells. No chemotherapy can match this nontoxic anti-cancer action. The implication is that this plant compound could be a safe medicine against brain tumors, without the side effects of chemotherapy. These exciting results may be just the tip of the iceberg, however, because Δ9-THC is only one of many active compounds in medicinal cannabis. Other active constituents of the Cannabis plant (called cannabinoids) are also likely to have a nontoxic anti-cancer action.” 

Here is a link to the video of their experiment that show THC killing cancer.

http://thesethgroup.org/videos.html

Our Government had to patent it as a neuroprotectant be the SETH group did.

and its funny that you would mention “breast milk also contains fats and fat-soluble vitamins” because that’s right where those fat-soluble cannabinoids are found too. Of course THC is not the same as endocannabinoids, but THC is just one of more than 75 known cannabinoids. Most have similar beneficial effects, but without the psychotropic effects. Others include CBD, CBN, CBL, THCV, AG, and many more. In fact Pharmos Corporation is trying to patent some of these non-psychotropic cannabinoids as COX-2 inhibitors.

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=1bujAAAAEBAJ

OK, so we have:
-Present in Breast Milk in some form.
-Antioxidants
-Neuroprotectants
-COX-2 inhibitor
-Shown to kill brain cancer cells
-Found in our body and in nature
-0 Known deaths from overdose EVER
-5000+ years of use with no proven damage

Now granted that too much “could” have negative impact on your life, but even too much water does kill you. In fact, far more people have died from water intoxication than cannabis.

What more evidence does “the beaver” need, before I can say that there is a good chance that cannabinoids might be “good” for the brain?

Jenbug
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:03 pm: [report]

Didn’t Bob Marley die from a brain tumor?

paradisco
wrote on October 7 2009 @ 11:49 am: [report]

Bob Marley had melanoma, but it spread throughout his body, including his brain. 

Dr. Raphael Mechoulam is the man on cannabinoid research.  He is a chemist who actually extracts THC and measures out into proper dosages.  I think if the child got one of these pill instead of varying levels of THC in cookies and tea, most people would not see a problem.  It just becomes another pill.

Big pharm companies know the awesome powers of marijuana but cannot control the industry like cigarettes or alcohol.  Mainly because it is a plant that grows like weeds.  It’s too much competition for anti-depressants, laxatives, and pain killers.  So it works for them to keep it illegal, and they can just make a pill that does all the same stuff. 

With so much counterfeit drugs circulating, doctors over prescribing patients after 15 minute monthly appointments, and easy access to bulk supply of meds, why are we so concerned about this hippie mother?  She probably grows her own organic plants and makes the tea and cookies herself. 

And for all of you who have never smoked or eaten marijuana, there is a huge difference.  Smoking it will allow THC to quickly enter your blood stream through your lung, leaving you with a nice ‘mind-alteration’.  But when you eat or drink marijuana it enters your blood stream through your stomach.  That process takes longer to release THC, and you get a more ‘body-alteration’.  That’s why people in pain would rather eat than smoke pot.

Jenbug
wrote on October 7 2009 @ 11:57 am: [report]

I am not personally against or for this, to each their own. I just wanted to point out to LibertynJusticeforall just because you say it doesn’t make it true (or proof).

Jazzie
wrote on October 10 2009 @ 03:30 pm: [report]

Giving marijuana to your nine year old son is not only psychotic but criminal. The person should be tied up by her toes for a few days.

Marijuana should NOT be used for any reason. Even so-called medicinal purposes. That is bullcrap too. If you are terminal the last thing you should want to do is be nodding and eating. You should want to be full five and aware of the time you have left with your loved ones. NOT high as a kite on some acid laced marijuana. That is the craziest excuse for being a JUNKIE I have ever heard. And some quack doctors fall for it.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on October 10 2009 @ 03:35 pm: [report]

@Jazzie: You need to up your medication dose….