Parents for Medical Marijuana: A Growing Movement

On November 6, 2012, Amendment 64 to the Colorado Marijuana Legislation Initiative in the United States was approved, allowing recreational use of the plant by persons aged 21 and above. Thus, since marijuana stores legally opened in the state on January 1, 2014, a collective sales profit of more than five million US dollars has been reported. 

In the Philippines, despite a proposal to have marijuana legalized – even for medical use -- , the government has been firm with its statement that marijuana will remain an illegal drug, to the dismay of parents whose children are suffering from serious health conditions. We sought the opinion of experts on the matter. 

“One of the biggest misconceptions about marijuana is that it has no health benefits,” says Dr. Natasha Balbas, an alternative health specialist who has experience working with children with neurodevelopmental disorders using a natural, non-invasive approach. She elaborates on some of medical cannabis’s major pharmacologic properties:

• “Analgesia, or pain-relief, which is extremely helpful for those living with pain everyday from things like severe arthritis, cancer, fibromyalgia, chronic pain syndrome, even excruciating migraines 

• “Orexigenic (an appetite stimulant), which would benefit patients suffering from muscle-wasting disease like muscular dystrophy, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, anorexia, and some cancers

• “Antiemetic, meaning that it helps to nausea and vomiting, whether it be from cancer chemotherapy, motion sickness,  or pregnancy “morning sickness”

• “Antispasmodic, helping to control muscular movements of patients with neurologic disorders like dystonia, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, Epilepsy, Tourette's Syndrome, or spinal cord injuries  

 

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One couple who experienced using medical cannabis in order to treat their child are Jun and Myca Yutuc. 

“Our daughter was diagnosed at four months old with a serious form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome,” explains Jun. “For medication, she was given a mouthful  -- prednisolone (steroids), keppra, phenytoin, rivotril, depakene, phenobarbital, topamax, clobazam and other drugs I can’t recall anymore.

“A friend told me about cannabis as he found out about my daughter Moon Jaden's condition. At first, I had no idea what cannabis was so I checked and found out that it was another term for marijuana. 

“I stumbled upon a video on Facebook, of a five-year-old girl that had the same exact condition as my daughter. I connected with the mom who told me about the miracle that happened to her daughter when they started administering medical cannabis. 

"I told myself, ‘I will try everything just to see our child seizure-free.’ Choosing to use medical cannabis on our daughter was not a hard decision to make.

“I felt like the world's burdens were on my shoulders and I was ready to give up, [but] when I found out and got hold of the cannabis, everything turned upside down and I [felt hopeful] that my child [might] be seizure-free and [could] live a normal life.

“Lots of parents have been getting in touch with me [since] ABS-CBN first aired my daughter's story (October 2013). (Watch the video below)

“Some of them have children suffering from autism, epilepsy, brain tumor, etc. Right now, we are helping a few kids already and the results [have been] amazing. We are here to start awareness for the people.”

 

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Moms for Marijuana

 “Kimmi”, 35, is the founder of Moms for Marijuana Philippines, a non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness, promote education and create discussion about the cannabis plant. A mother of two kids aged six and one, she says it was curiosity that led to her research. 

It was upon learning of the story of couple Jun and Myca Yutuc through a local marijuana community/online forum that Kimmi was able to start raising awareness about medical cannabis. “I got in touch with them and asked if I can share their story on the page to raise awareness that there is a need for medical marijuana in the country. What followed became the turning point of the advocacy. Sadly, Moon Jaden's body gave up the fight [last September 19, 2013, a week after they first got hold of cannabis oil],” says Kimmi. “We lost her to health complications.”

 

Getting access to medical marijuana

 In fact, it is possible to get access to medical marijuana by requesting for an exemption from the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) (as explained in the ABS-CBN interview with the Yutucs and in an ABS-CBN article). Referring to the Dangerous Drugs Act, Dr. Eric Tayag, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health explains, “There are just regulations that need to be followed, such as a prescription via the yellow form.” The yellow form refers to the prescription issued by the Dangerous Drugs Board that allows one to buy dangerous drugs for medical purposes. 

The act also mentions that:

…the “government shall, however, aim to achieve a balance in the national drug control program so that people with legitimate medical needs are not prevented from being treated with adequate amounts of appropriate medications, which include the use of dangerous drugs.”

Tayag cautions those who intend to abuse the provision, saying “Even if you have medical reasons, if you don’t have the papers, you are liable under the law. So do not go underground.”

 

Marijuana as an illegal drug

 The Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972 (Republic Act No. 6425) listed marijuana (referred to as “Indian hemp”) as one of the country’s prohibited drugs. Manufacture, possession, use or cultivation of such illegal drugs would result in “the penalty of reclusion perpetua to death and a fine ranging from five hundred thousand pesos to ten million pesos”. In 2002, the same act was repealed and amended in Republic Act 9165.

“Restrictions were enforced because of overabuse cases, because there is a form of marijuana that is addictive,” explains clinical herbalist Dr. Bunny Bernardo. “There are some properties in marijuana that when overused become like false cannabinoids (active compounds), and when these multiply, especially in dried leaves, these are what causes the ‘high’.”

Says Dr. Balbas, “Most of the pharmacologic properties of medical cannabis come from its cannabinoids- a class of chemical compounds that interact with cannabinoid receptors in the brain.

“In the cannabis plant, there are over 460 chemical compounds, and at least 80 of those are cannabinoids. The most popular (and most studied) cannabinoid, the one believed to be most responsible for giving the plant its healing abilities, is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is also responsible for the plant's psychoactive effects. 

“Other cannabinoids have unique properties that contribute to the various properties of the plant:

• Cannabichromene (CBC) can stimulate bone growth; 

• Cannabinol (CBN) fights free radicals in the bloodstream; • Cannabigerol (CBG) can stop growth of bacteria; 

• In 2007, a scientific review mentioned that one cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), has the potential to inhibit cancer cell growth. 

• The European Journal of Pharmacology in 2004 found that cannabinoids are also found naturally in human breast milk, and they play a critical role in activating reflexes that teach newborns how to suck the milk.                                                                       

“It is important to note that none of these clinical studies (mentioned above) claim to ‘prove’ the efficacy of medical marijuana, per se, but it is apparent that some conditions are being studied more than others, and that some conditions-- particularly the ones related to cancer and neurological conditions-- have shown more promise than others,” emphasizes Dr. Balbas. 

 

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Is medical marijuana advisable for children, then, and if so, is there a risk for addiction?

“I'm very careful about what I recommend to my patients, and it would take a combination of many factors like age, diagnosis, prognosis, past medical history, and the general inclination of the patient for me to decide whether or not I would recommend the use of medical cannabis,” says Dr. Balbas. “It's got to be a case-by-case scenario, because every human body is different. I always urge my patients to get more educated on the topic before we pursue further discussion. 

“In my opinion, most of the epilepsy/convulsion drugs on the market are just too much for the children's bodies to handle, especially if they are required to take it everyday, as the side effects can be just as painful or debilitating as the disease that the medicine is supposed to fix. On the risk of addiction, I would recommend practicing the same amount of caution with cannabis as I would with other common drugs like tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, or even other pharmaceutical drugs.”

Says Dr. Bernardo, “If marijuana can be used properly in the medical field or for scientific purposes, then it’s okay, as long as it’s not abused,” when asked if medical marijuana should be legalized in the country. “The government should have stricter policies. The BFAD and DOH should study it. The supply should be as needed [only] and it shouldn’t be accessible to just anyone, because that’s how it gets abused.

“We should also have independent studies, because our marijuana here, our cannabis sativa may be different from those abroad. So let’s look at the principles, the properties, active ingredients. Let’s also look at the effects. We cannot just rely on foreign studies.”

 

Sources:

• October 7, 2013. Ira Pedrasa. “How to access medical marijuana in PH” abs-cbnnews.com 

• January 3, 2014. Louis Bacani. “Palace: Philippines won’t yet legalize marijuana” philstar.com 

• January 8, 2014. Maila Ager. “Proposal to legalize marijuana use a ‘hallucination’, says senator” newsinfor.inquirer.net

• January 8, 2014. Matt Ferner. “Colorado Recreational Marijuana Sales Exceed $5 Million in First Week” hufftingtonpost.com 

• “Colorado Marijuana Legalization Initiative, Amendment 64 (2012)” ballotpedia.org 

• “(Republic Act No. 6425) The Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972” fda.gov.ph 

 

Photo by Park Ranger via flickr creative commons