Autism
CBD is getting buzz, but does it work? And is it legal?
With CBD showing up everywhere, U.S. regulators announced Tuesday they are exploring ways the marijuana extract could be used legally in foods, dietary supplements and cosmetics.
Almost half of Colorado’s marijuana money can go wherever lawmakers wish
The Marijuana Tax Cash Fund is the largest pool of pot money in the state, and there are more than 60 different ways state lawmakers spend those dollars across Colorado.
Marijuana advocates, state lawmakers blast Hickenlooper over his veto of three cannabis bills
Four state lawmakers joined a group of marijuana advocates on Thursday in blasting Gov. John Hickenlooper over his veto of three pot bills, saying the term-limited Democrat’s decisions threaten Colorado’s place as a leader on cannabis and hurt patients, consumers and businesses.
The Spot newsletter: Masterpiece Cakeshop ruling and its impacts, Hickenlooper’s veto-palooza, Denver’s scooter-palooza and an election 2018 how-to
Welcome back to The Spot, where The Denver Post’s politics team captures what’s happening this week — from the Colorado legislature to Denver city hall, with a stop through the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C.
In record-setting veto, Hickenlooper rejects bill adding autism to conditions eligible for medical marijuana
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on Tuesday vetoed a bill that would have added autism to the list of conditions eligible under state law for medical marijuana treatment.
101 bills that passed and failed: A digest of what you missed in the 2018 Colorado legislative session, from taxes to crime to transportation
Colorado lawmakers introduced more than 700 bills in the 2018 legislative session covering a wide range of topics. If you’re wondering what you missed, one line about 101 bills that passed or failed in the 120-day term.
Quick Marijuana Updates on Dale earnhardt jr . and Autism
Among the oldest medical remedies is rapidly becoming the latest treatment method for a lot of patients. Medical marijuana’s possibility to provide relief is really huge it frequently appears hard to stay current with only the number of conditions it may be helpful for.
Autism has shown to be a hard condition for contemporary western medicine to deal with. The condition impacts one out of 88 children. Previous research has outlined marijuana’s effectiveness from the condition. Endocannabinoid signals come with an important function as they possibly can affect memory, learning, along with other important brain processes. Autism can block these signals, clearly leading to developmental issues. A new study carried out at Stanford discovered that when cannabinoids (compounds for example THC and CBD) were contained in lab rodents the signals could go through.
Apparently Dale earnhardt jr . is reluctant or afraid to endorse a plant that really is consistent with an underlying cause they already support. Dale earnhardt jr . makes significant donations to Autism research and something of the motorists, Denny Hamlin, has driven a vehicle with “Autism Talks” colored around the hood. A professional marijuana add highlighting it’s safety in comparison to alcohol was scheduled to operate throughout the Brickyard 400. However, the ad was drawn after The Drug-free America Foundation complained. Calvina Fay, executive director from the organization stated “This campaign wrongly claims marijuana is safer than alcohol and encourages illicit drug abuse in a condition where marijuana is against the law…It’s irresponsible marketing and that i commend Grazie Media for his or her quick action towards removing this ad.” Many would find it hard to still find it false to say that marijuana is safer than alcohol.
NASCAR’s social conscious has revealed itself in an odd time. It is really an organization which has no difficulties with splashing cigarette, alcohol, and penile enhancement advertisements conspicuously around the sides of the cars previously. Claims for example individuals produced by Calvina Fay have forfeit their credibility and appear laughable. With marijuana awareness constantly growing can we soon visit a eco-friendly sponsor along the side of a race vehicle?
Parents Find Success in Treating Autistic Son With Marijuana
The medical marijuana movement has gained traction simply because it has produced results. Despite the talking points of politicians who still claim to want more research but also want to block said research, patients testimonials have been strong and heartfelt. Also during this time of medical marijuana expansion we have seen a significant rise in autism diagnoses. One family living Oregon has found that marijuana has done wonders in treating their son’s violent episodes related to his autism.
This story is sure to cause considerable controversy. Those looking in, who are not faced with this difficult situation may be quick to render judgement. However, the parents of Alex Echols seem to want to provide a better and safer quality of life for their son. Traditional medicine and treatments were not effective in reducing Alex’s violent outbursts. As a result the family decided to try something unconventional. They have noticed results and seem pleased with their son’s progress. However, they are not advocating that everyone in their situation try this.
We are only going to get to the bottom of marijuana’s efficacy by research. With the vast majority of the country feeling that the federal approach to this issue is a failure at best, when will we see change? Federal authorities are still hiding behind the red tape. We have heard so much about individual rights from Congressional members, though most members in the House are eerily quiet on the subject. If marijuana is so devastating and deserving of its Schedule I classification, WHY NOT conduct the research and prove once and for all it’s dangers? The federal government owes the American people this protection. We need and must know if this plant, that is available everywhere, is causing the widespread damage authorities claim. We owe it to 11 year old Alex Echols if his reduction in violent behavior carries with it an even greater risk. The only conclusion is that our government is outright lying/misleading on marijuana, or that they have absolutely no concern for our safety.
Can Marijuana treat Autism?
Autism is a disease that has gotten a lot of press lately. Some believe it is naturally occurring, while others blame vaccines for its origins. Whatever its origin, it is one of those disorders that can be particularly trying on a family. It predominantly affects children and the symptoms and severity often progress as a child enters puberty, meaning it gets tougher to deal with as time goes on. Its symptoms include a wide range of mental, neurological and behavior disorders, with experts often disagreeing on what constitutes true autism, and other similar afflictions. As it is so complex, the treatments for it are also wide-ranging. Some doctors trust behavioral therapies, while others prefer a pharmaceutical approach, and many families wind up mixing and matching a combination of treatments to find out which is most effective. For parents it can be incredibly aggravating and heart-wrenching to see occasional progress slip away as their children’s minds and bodies react to treatments and then stop responding. Many reach the point where they are willing to try anything, and it is only then that many have chosen to try medicating with marijuana.
Investigations into any official links between autism and marijuana research prove to be difficult. This is because there is no official work being done on the topic. Because of the federal laws blocking marijuana, it is impossible to get funding for a set of studies. Much of the evidence for the relief that marijuana provides is anecdotal and reported on a case-by-case basis from families gone public with their stories. One of the more famous cases is from Mieko Hester-Perez and her son Joey. At age ten he weighed 46 lbs and was severely malnourished. Many autistic children are “picky eaters” and often will not feed themselves or offer resistance to caretakers trying to nourish them. At her wits’ end, she decided to try medicating Joey with marijuana-infused brownies. She claims that within hours there was a noticeable difference. He began eating and requesting foods and it altered his behavior too. Previously Joey had tended toward self-destructive behavior and aggression toward others. The mellow feeling of being “high” had calmed him down. Also, it reduced his wandering. Wandering episodes are of huge concern for any parent; now imagine the child in question has no way of communicating to people who find him.
Other “success stories” come from Marie Myung-Ok Lee, a Brown University professor, and Debbie Hosseini of California. Both women have children diagnosed with Autism who have seen little or no effect from prescribed pharmaceuticals. As is often the case with modern medications, there are numerous negative side effects as well as developed tolerance. Even Marinol, the THC-derived pharmaceutical drug only consists of THC and may only include trace amounts of other medically useful cannabinoids. Louis Spurgeon of Kansas has a pervasive developmental disorder and was helped by using marijuana. It seems to help most with ensuring nutritional intake and calming down aggressive and violent behaviors (sounds familiar). But for Louis Spurgeon and Kevin Hosseini it has also helped with social behavior and verbalization. According to his mother, Louis had been on several different medications but even as a teenager his scholastic skills were stunted. In high school though, he joined with the “wrong crowd” and started smoking pot. Though she protested, she noticed how it affected his mind and behavior in a positive way. It helped his sociability, calmed his anxiety and aggression and even promoted his verbal skills. After he began smoking, Louis and his mother were having actual conversations! For once the “wrong crowd” got someone onto the right path.
Marijuana may not be the answer for all autistic patients. It is a wide-ranging disorder that effects people in many different ways, just like marijuana. What these case studies highlight is the need for more research in a regimented manner. For the longest time the US government only funded studies that show the negatives to marijuana and none of the benefits. Their priorities are skewed; in fact many studies that previously showed benefits, had their funding cutoff and the results were buried. This is science that must be done for the sake of science and humanity. Often it is the surprise discoveries that lead to true breakthroughs. Politicians should know better than to try and steer a study to say what they want. In the meantime, Marijuana is something that parents may want to consider. One of the pros of marijuana is that its effects are short term. If it proves ineffective or even negative for a particular patient, discontinuing its use ought to return that patient to his previous state.