Regina mother applauds medical marijuana ruling to treat her epileptic son

REGINA- A Regina mother of a boy with a rare form of epilepsy is overjoyed with a recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling on medical marijuana.

Canada’s highest court unanimously struck down limits on what constitutes legal forms of medicinal pot, meaning Jacquie Cameron can now legally give her son, Rylan, cannabis oil or brownies.

She said the 12-year-old suffered from around 250 seizures a day for most of his life.

“He’s had brain surgery. He’s been on special diets. He’s tried steroid therapy and none of it has worked,” she said.

Cameron started using marijuana oil to treat his seizures around a year ago and she said the results were life changing.

Rylan now only has a seizure once, every two or three days, but the edible options were illegal until now.

“It was perfectly legal if I wanted him to smoke it, but I don’t see that as a safe option for him,” added Cameron.

Previously, federal regulation only permitted dried marijuana for licensed patients, but the decision Tuesday means edibles like brownies, teas and oil are now on the menu.

Mark Hauk with Saskatchewan Compassion Club said the ruling has resulted in a sense of urgency to open the first licensed dispensary in the province, a plan he’s had in the works for some time.

“We have something new in play with this ruling and it’s a public safety concern,” he explained.  “People have been told they have legal access to obtain extracts and edibles, but no legal way of obtaining them.”

So, while you can possess and consume pot in different forms, the rules around production are a bit hazy.

Noah Evanchuk is a lawyer for Andrews Benko & Associates in Regina, and recommends producers wait on regulations from Health Canada.

“I would caution extreme caution when doing this. Do not take the law into your own hands,” he warned.  “There is a grey area and to all those people who are celebrating this decision, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Cameron hopes rules for producers come sooner than later, so she can go to a licensed dispensary to help her son.

“You shouldn’t have to put yourself in that kind of danger to get medicine for your child.”