Bill would let sick kids use marijuana

Children would have access to medical marijuana under new legislation introduced Tuesday in the House.

The Compassionate Access Act backed by Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) would allow patients, including young children who are sick, to use pot in states where medical marijuana is legal when prescribed by a doctor.

{mosads}The lawmakers pointed to medical marijuana’s “unique ability to treat and prevent epileptic seizures, especially in children.” One way in which children would be allowed to use pot is by applying cannabidiol oil to treat epilepsy.

“There are countless reports of marijuana’s medicinal benefits in treating conditions including cancer, epilepsy, and glaucoma,” Griffith said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration currently lists all forms of marijuana as a banned substance. So even in states that have legalized medical marijuana, the federal government can step in and block access.

The medical marijuana bill would prevent this from happening by rescheduling the classification of marijuana so each state can decide whether to legalize it. It would remove marijuana from a list of other drugs that includes heroin and cocaine.

The change would provide access for pharmacies, producers and testing labs to marijuana.

It would also allow researchers to study the drug’s effects on patients.

“It’s time to research this further, and, where legal, to allow real doctors and real pharmacists to prescribe or dispense marijuana for legitimate medical reasons for real patients,” Griffith added.