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BC baby at centre of cannabis oil case dies in hospital

Four-and-a-half-month-old Mary Jane Pierce is shown in this undated family handout photo.
Four-and-a-half-month-old Mary Jane Pierce is shown in this undated family handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

The B.C. baby whose parents were fighting for the right to treat her with cannabis oil died in hospital last Friday.

Mary Jane Pierce was born ten months ago, premature at 25 weeks. She has been in hospital ever since her birth, suffering from problems including brain bleeding, cerebral palsy and severe seizures.

Her parents had been fighting for the right to treat her with cannabis oil as they both use it to treat their epilepsy. They filed a court action last summer to be granted greater control over Mary Jane’s care, but they dropped it last September after they say their daughter appeared to be improving.

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The Ministry of Children and Family Development gained custody of the little girl last August and agreed not to take Mary Jane off life support without the parent’s consent or a court order.

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Doctors had stopped giving cannabis oil to Mary Jane last August and there was much debate about whether the oil was helping the child and her seizures.

Mary Jane died of natural causes.

-With files from The Canadian Press.

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