Family Leaves Iowa For Cannabis Oil

The General

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The Iowa Senate voted 36 to 12 Thursday to legalize oil derived from marijuana for epilepsy patients. The oil does not provide a high and cannot be smoked. Patients would have to travel outside of Iowa to states where it is legal to purchase the oil. The bill now moves to the state House of Representatives. Among the people closely watching the progress of the medical marijuana bill are several Iowa families who have moved to other states to get their children on medical cannabis. The Grittman parents, from Tama, has a 3-year-old son, Braedy Grittman, who cannot crawl or talk and suffers multiple seizures every day.

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic have tried several medicines for Braedy's condition with little success. The Grittmans moved to Colorado in March. This week, Braedy started taking medical cannabis. When KCCI first met Braedy at his home in Tama in January, he was still recovering from a seizure he suffered two hours earlier. His parents said he can have anywhere from one to 10 seizures each day. In January, the Grittmans put their names on a waiting list at a cannabis dispensary center in Colorado Springs, Co. In April, they moved 800 miles west, leaving behind friends and family to try to provide Braedy a better future.

After approval from two Colorado doctors, the Grittmans were able to apply for their medical marijuana card for pediatrics. Insurance won't pay for it, but thanks to a nonprofit dispensary that grows and sells cannabis oil for kids with illnesses, a 30-day supply with 90 doses costs the Grittmans $30. Since his first doses, Braedy's parents said he had one seizure in four days. They can't remember a period where they had three out of four days without seizures. The Grittmans have had a lot of doubts since arriving in Colorado 24 days earlier.

"I missed my family, my friends, we didn't have jobs," said Quincy Grittman, Braedy's mother. "I was wondering if this was really what I was supposed to be doing for Braedy, but the patience and waiting paid off last four days." Quincy Grittman said she was very excited about the Iowa Senate vote and hopes the House will follow suit. She said her family would move back to Iowa immediately if it becomes law and said her family would drive to other states to buy the cannabis oil. Several state senators Thursday argued against approving medical marijuana, saying it sends a message marijuana is OK. Officials at Blank Children's Hospital have said they don't approve of medical marijuana because the American Academy of Pediatrics opposes any medical cannabis bill.

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News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Kcci.com
Author: Mark Tauscheck
Contact: Contact Us - KCCI NewsChannel 8 - Des Moines, Central Iowa
Website: Family leaves Iowa for cannabis oil | Local News - KCCI Home
 
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