Epilepsy & Marijuana
Overview: The most prominent front man for the “medical marijuana” movement was the need to use weed to help children with epilepsy. The print and airwaves were dominated (both by paid advertising and feature stories) with the presentation of a binary choice … between legalizing marijuana or children suffering from violent seizures.
How It Went Down: This false choice was presented almost exclusively with the promotion of an anecdote from a grieving parent (one who sincerely believed marijuana would help his or her child). In the media coverage, the efficacy of marijuana in addressing pediatric seizures was treated as a foregone conclusion. In a culture that demands science, it was curiously absent from all discussion regarding weed and epilepsy. That was by design, and here’s why …
The Experts the Media Ignored: There was a smokescreen regarding the science – that due to marijuana’s illegality, medical experts were unable to lawfully study it’s benefits. Only, the experts were not merely neutral on administering cannabis to children with epilepsy, they were vocally and vehemently opposed to it. Dr. Michael Privitera, president of the American Epilepsy Society, wrote the following: ”[T]he American Epilepsy Society has been opposed to the expanded use of medical marijuana and its derivative, cannabidiol, or CBD, in the treatment of children with severe epilepsy... Our position is informed by the lack of available research and supported by the position statements of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Medical Association.”
Moving Forward: What a blatant propaganda effort. The public was duped by a saturation of their information sources with completely false narratives. So, we need to combat this with the presentation of facts and evidence. Any person who relays, promotes, or repeats the facts and evidence is a leader … one who is looking out for our future and our children. It’s a long process (chipping away at the notion it is medicine, showing the dangers of marijuana use, and illustrating the negative impacts on our children and communities) – a Chinese proverb reads, The Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – any effort by anyone is a step that moves us closer. Thanks so much for your efforts in this fight.
