Lehigh Valley Parenting Blog
Thursday 05 Nov 2009
A Rhode Island mom is using medical marijuana to ease the symptoms of her son’s autism.
And on Tuesday, voters in Maine overwhelmingly approved a measure which expands the list of medical conditions that qualify for treatment with marijuana and allows nonprofit organizations to provide medical marijuana to patients.
In her blog post “Why I Give My 9-Year-Old Pot” at Double X, mom Marie Myung-Ok Lee talks about how she obtained a prescription for medical marijuana for her son last spring and the results of what she calls the “cannabis experiment.”
After giving her son daily tea and cookies made with marijuana-infused olive oil, Lee says she has seen some improvments after four months. She says the treatment eliminated her son’s “gut pain,” stopped his tendency toward “pica” or eating non-food items and reduced his agression.
However she says “his autism has become more distinct’ and he continues to exhibit behaviors such as vocalizations.
“I don’t consider marijuana a miracle cure for autism,” she says in her post. “But as an amateur herbalist, I do consider it a wonderful, safe botanical that allows [my son] to participate more fully in life without the dangers and sometimes permanent side effects of pharmaceutical drugs.”
Meanhwile the American Academy of Pediatrics which opposes the legalization of marijuana, does support further research into the potential medical benefits of cannabis.
What do you think? Would you consider medical marijuana to help your child?
http://blogs.mcall.com/parents/2009/11/medical-marijuana-to-treat-autism.html 
