Medical Marijuana in Children: Seven Year-old with Leukemia Takes Capsule Form of Drug

The use of medical marijuana has been a controversial issue, but the issue becomes even more contentious when the drug is administered to children.

The Oregon Live reported on Nov. 24 that seven-year-old Mykayla Comstock consumes medical marijuana to help "her fight an especially aggressive form of leukemia, keeps infection at bay and lifts her weary spirit."

The report said the Comstock takes the drug in capsule form twice a day sometimes snacks on brownie baked with marijuana-laced butter.

Comstock said the marijuana makes her feel "funny and happy."

"It helps me eat and sleep," she said. "The chemotherapy makes you feel like you want to stay up all night long."

Comstock's father reportedly opposes the use of the medicinal drug and contacted child welfare officials, police and her oncologist, the paper reported.
"She was stoned out of her mind," said Comstock, 26. "All she wanted to do was lay on the bed and play video games."

Oregon is one of 19 states to legalize medical marijuana. The drug is approved for "Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for HIV/AIDS, or treatment for these conditions; A medical condition or treatment for a medical condition that produces cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, including seizures caused by epilepsy, or persistent muscle spasms, including spasms caused by multiple sclerosis," according to ProCon.org.

Voters in Colorado and Washington made their states the first to legalize marijuana for recreational use, but Oregon voters blocked the passage.

The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes the legalization of marijuana and said it supports "rigorous scientific research regarding the use of cannabinoids for the relief of symptoms not currently ameliorated by existing legal drug formulations."

In These Times' duly NOTED by Lindsay Beyertein said the solution for giving kids marijuana as medicine "is more research and better training for doctors, not prohibition for kids. "

"Medical marijuana occupies an awkward position in the pharmacopia because patients and parents have to decide the dosage themselves, often with little or no medical guidance,: she wrote. Even where medical marijuana is legal, most doctors aren't trained in the therapeutic use of cannabis and many are hesitant to make recommendations without research to back them up."