50 kids under 18 prescribed medical marijuana in Oregon
GLADSTONE, Ore. – A mother is giving her 7-year-old daughter medical marijuana to help in the treatment of a rare form of leukemia.
Mykayla Comstock will undergo chemotherapy for the next three years. Her doctors diagnosed her with cancer this summer.
Her mother, Erin Purchase, decided she didn't want to give her daughter the anti-nausea and pain relief medicine a cancer patient would normally take.
While the whole house smelled like pot, Purchase and her boyfriend, Brandon Krenzler, insisted Mykayla doesn't smoke the marijuana; instead, they give her marijuana oil, one gram every day, injected into capsules.
Otherwise, she would take seven to 10 prescription drugs a day, Krenzler said.
"She is happier. She has more energy. She is eating like she used to. She doesn't have a lot of nausea," said Purchase. "Our first oncologist wasn't accepting of it. She felt it was inappropriate for Mykayla and pretty much any child."
While many may think it is inappropriate, it's not against the law. There is no age limit to be a medical marijuana cardholder in Oregon. For those under 18, children just need their parents' permission.
There are nine other patients under age 14 who are also enrolled in the state's medical marijuana program and a total of 50 children under age 18.
Purchase said she respects the views of those who disagree with what she's doing.
But, "what I say back to that, and feel strongly, is cannabis may be inappropriate for a 7-year-old, but ultimately cancer is inappropriate for a 7-year-old," she said. "If she wasn't using cannabis, she'd be using the narcotic pain relievers and anti-nausea drugs from pharmaceutical companies that every other adult would be using for cancer."
Purchase said her family is split over the issue. Mykayla's grandmother is strongly against it and so is her biological father in North Dakota. But Purchase said he doesn't have custody so he would need to go to court if he wanted to intervene.
There's just to much ignorance out there in regards to the benefits of medical marijuana. If it was my kid, you bet that I would be giving the child what ever it took to help them. Regardless if it was legal or not.
do not see articles about how many kids are on ridalin and the many big pharma prescribed drugs that are offered to our kids. Once kids are on pharmaceuticals they are geared for life to be pill poppers. Pharma drugs can help but they are over prescribed to everybody. Cannabis  is a known anti-inflammatory amongst its many adaptogenic properties.
Trying to stir up some ant-marijuana sentiment with this drug war propoganda.....
yeah what they dont say is that her mother is a supposed medical marijuana user and her moms boyfriend is a supposed medical marijuana grower. are they really responcible enough to make choices like that with out any medical training at all, and being baked off their butts all the time themselves? I dont think so
 @quasimodo Do you really feel the right to judge? What makes you think they are "baked off their butts all the time"?Â
 @quasimodo You forgot to put a comma after the word 'think'. Your final sentence should read, "I don't think, so." FTFY
@godless anarchist @quasimodo HA another spelling cop ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,enough commas
you puke=)) have a nice day.
 @quasimodo =/ Their oncologist provided the medical training in this decision.
If she was my child I would be doing the same thing. It is amazing that because of intolerance people ignore the benefits of marijuana. My MIL died while being treated for her cancer. I watched her lose her appetite and she was just not strong enough to fight through all of the drugs and poisons that her body was facing. I truly believe if she would have been able to eat and not be sick everytime she did so that she may have stood a much better chance.
@Shannon K Agree with what you said. Sorry about your loss.
Good for you Ms. Purchase.
Considering the parents, that child was going to get pot one way or the other, the only real surprise is the leukemia.