Santa Rosa girl who uses medical cannabis to treat seizures seeks admission to Rincon Valley schools

Press Democrat ^ | 24 July 2018

[rey]

A judge will hear arguments this week on a decision by the Rincon Valley Elementary School District to bar a 5-year-old girl from taking cannabis-based medication onto campus with her, a case that highlights issues with state and federal rules prohibiting medical marijuana in schools.

Brooke Adams lives in Rincon Valley and has Dravet Syndrome, a rare disease that causes frequent and long-lasting seizures. Other complications include problems with controlling body temperature and developmental delays, the Dravet Syndrome Foundation website says.

Brooke’s mom, Jana Adams, said her daughter relies on cannabidiol, otherwise known as CBD, to fend off her seizures daily. Brooke additionally takes THC oil, which is applied to her gums, when seizures strike even while on the CBD oil.

“CBD is more like maintenance,” Jana Adams said. “The THC actually works like a rescue medication. It stops (the seizures) within three minutes, and that’s really the life-saving part for us.”

The school district accommodated Brooke two years ago when she started going to preschool. It paid for her to attend Humboldt Community Preschool, a private school that agreed to work with Brooke and allowed her to bring cannabis-based medication to school, Jana Adams said.

But Rincon Valley does not allow students to bring THC medication on campus. While Brooke was preparing to start elementary school early this year, the district proposed Brooke be home-schooled instead, Jana Adams said.

Cathy Myhers, assistant superintendent for student services at the school district, cited several legal barriers that prevent school officials from allowing students to use medical cannabis on campus.

Under California Health and Safety Code, no one can smoke ingest cannabis within 1,000 feet of a school, day care or youth center. A federal law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, ensures a drug-free environment on school campuses across the country, .

[rey]

You need to read the whole thing.

What I am curious about is if this is a normal treatment for such ailments or are these parents into alternative/holistc medicine who try to treat every ailment with herbs and spices. Seems to me, seizures would require something a little more potent than pot.

[al baby]

Todays pot aint like the stuff we smoked in the 60s and 70s its super weed

[G Larry]

She's not smoking it and it can be administered in the nurses office.

No need to conflate this with layabouts toking themselves into a fog.

[youngidiot]

I think the mother is incorrect. The judge should rule in accordance with the law, which says that the child cannot bring her weed meds on campus. If the law needs to be changed, it should be changed in the legislature. Anything more from the judge is activism.

[Grampa Dave]

Was this regimen Rxed by a neurologist or a back yard pot raiser/booster!

[PCPOET7]

I am guessing there are other treatments just not as effective... with side effects that are real bad. my bet that the alternative treatment from CBD oils and the THC oil is phenobarbital. the meds real nasty and is dosing the kid with a medication that is detrimental to cognitive development in the child... 30 years ago I dated a girl that was on phenobarbital and I would not wish it on anyone. she would get dosed with the med and loose about 20 points of IQ and then as the medication wore of get slowly smarter till suddenly she was having seizures. we could not even go on a date with out her getting a seizure....I wish the parents luck in the court system.

[KC_Lion]

For your interest.

[jcon40]

My bookkeepers dad, a hard nose X-cop is now taking the CBD form for his seizures after his other meds didn’t work as well.

I use it topically on my shoulder, back and knees for pain relief and no longer take Motrin or other prescription anti inflammatory meds.

My oldest daughter takes it for anxiety.

None of us are smoking it and the CBD variety doesn’t get you stoned anyway.

Amazing stuff with many beneficial uses.

I look at it like water .... It can drown you but that doesn’t mean it’s bad

[MortMan]

While I agree with your points, I willa lso point out that the California law makes smoking or ingesting it on school grounds illegal. In this case, the school appears to me to be applying the law as written.

If the law is wrong, then change the law.

But one cannot force the school and its personnel to jeopardize themselves by breaking the law, even with good intentions. That is the crux of the argument against illegal immigration and amnesty - enforce the law, or change it.

JMHO.

[PGR88]

Stupid bureaucrats trying to write a one-size-fits-all rule, so they don’t need to think, or take any responsibility.

They should be able to determine themselves this girl’s case from their own local experience and investigation and manage it easily, whatever they decide.

Of course, we have removed authority for schools from locally elected officials and parents, so we shouldn’t be surprised all school bureaucrats are focused mostly on ass-covering.

[MortMan]

From the excerpt, the CBD isn’t the issue. The THC is.

[BitWielder1]

No need to conflate this with layabouts toking themselves into a fog.

That's right, conflating two separate issues to make one look as bad as the other, is a common Leftist tactic.
Nurse's office seems a reasonable precaution to me.

[Vaduz]

Indeed like it’s the only medicine that works sounds like another story to pimp pot.

[sheana]

We adopted a spazzed out puppy. I tried CBD oil with her and couldn’t tell any difference. I tried to substitute CBD oil for my Meloxicam and it didn’t seem to work for me. My daughter’s son has been diagnosed as having all the D’s. ODD, ADHD, etc. etc. and is on major drugs for them. The drugs have almost stopped working he has been on them so long. She has started giving him CBD gummies and says she can definitely tell the difference.
I say if it works....GREAT. I actually wish I could get THC oil here to try. I can’t smoke pot because it makes me nauseous. If I could, I would.

[dfwgator]

It’s just a chemical like all medicines.

[Responsibility2nd]

“CBD is more like maintenance,” Jana Adams said. “The THC actually works like a rescue medication. It stops (the seizures) within three minutes, and that’s really the life-saving part for us.”

______________________________________________

Keep the child at home. Regardless of what meds she takes, keep her at home. If her life hangs in the balance on a daily basis - then why take a chance on being anywhere where access to her seizure medicine may be an issue.

Keep the child at home.

[Vaduz]

FDA shakes head not half the time nobody knows whats in the stuff it’s why some states are regulating it even in stoner states.

[TheZMan]

This girl has enough health issues that she SHOULD be home schooled, period.

[arthurus]

Why would a family that purportedly cares for its daughter “fight” to get her into public school? If they actually cared about her education and future they would enrol her in private school or, best choice, home school her. If they care, rather, about making a political statement that’s fine but they shouldn’t do it to the educational degradation of their daughter.

[TheStickman]

Thanks for the ping.

The story in the article, IMO is a stark reminder of how insane the federal prohibition on cannabis actually is.

That ANY child should have to jump through this many hoops in order to take the medicine that her parents have deemed appropriate for her condition is disgusting, IMO.