SUMMERLAND — Marijuana as medicine is nothing new but it’s an eye opener when a toddler is the patient.
A Summerland family is going public with the promising effects marijuana is having on their two-year-old.
The family says it turned to marijuana after running out of options for the child’s debilitating seizures but they may be forced to move out of the country to ensure she gets the right dose.
“I had the brainwashed mindset, but I am a grandma reborn. I’ll tell you that.”
Elaine Nuessler of Summerland has done a 180 when it comes to marijuana because of her granddaughter Kyla.
She has a neurological disease that gives her mild seizures — up to 100 a day — a disease that doctors can’t pin down.
Grandfather Chris Neussler has also done a 180 — a big turnaround seeing that he used to be a cop.
“I used to bust people. That is just what we did. That was the mindset that we had. Then this medical marijuana comes by and our mindset has to change.”
Elaine and Chris’ minds changed after they heard children as young as Kyla are being treated for similar symptoms in Colorado where marijuana is legal.
They turned to Bob Kay at the Okanagan Compassion Club for answers.
“I don’t think they’re doing it so their two year old child gets high,” says Kay.
Kay recommended juicing marijuana leaves — that way seizing something called CBD’s and not the psycho active ingredient of the plant that makes you high — THC.
“It’s one of the things that I do because it assists me because you don’t get that psycho active ingredient. That molecule that everybody knows about.”
Courtney Williams is Kyla’s mother. She’s also a believer. Williams says there has to be an alternative to the long list of prescription drugs because Kyla has rejected everyone one of them.
“I don’t believe cannabis is as harmful as the drugs that she’s been given from BC Children’s Hospital.”
Kyla has only been taking cannabis since the weekend. Already the results look promising. She’s now making eye contact with her mother and grandparents — something she hasn’t done in a very long time.
But there’s one major problem. Despite the fact that Kyla has a prescription for medical marijuana, under the new regulations imposed by the federal government the Neussler’s can’t get access to cannabis oil.
That’s being appealed in court but until then, the government insist it must be sold in the form of bud and smoked.
“From what we understand, they’re trying to make it easier access for dried cannabis leaves. Well Kyla can’t smoke marijuana,” says Elaine.
The Nuesslers say if the government doesn’t give their two-year-old access to cannabis oil, they will consider moving to Colorado.
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