14 DAY TRIAL // While the medical use of marijuana is being authorized in numerous countries all around the world for adults, things get a little more controversial when it comes to children.
Mykalaya Comstock, a seven-year-old leukemia suffering child is one of 2,201 cases of patients allowed to use marijuana as a form of medication in the state of Oregon.
Mykalaya's family says the drug helps the child bear the extreme illness more easily.
The state of Oregon approved marijuana consumption for medical reasons in children's case 14 years ago. Since then, 52 kids have benefited of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, as a consequence of a doctor's authorization and a parental consent.
A child in this condition becomes the complete responsibility of his/her parents. There is no official monitoring or imposed quality standards.
Most of the doctors are reluctant to allowing a child to be given marijuana as a cure, especially since previous studies have shown that the consumption of some drugs among teenagers can lead to destructive consequences on their intellect, attention or memory, OregonLive reports.
Doctors claim that there are more harmless medications which can fight the pain at the same level or even better than marijuana does.
The fact is also not easily accepted by most of the parents.
Mykalaya's father, Comstock, was completely against giving marijuana to her daughter at the beginning. However, things have changed after he became fully aware of his daughter's condition.
“She was stoned out of her mind. All she wanted to do was lay on the bed and play video games,” Comstock said.
Later, Mykalaya's mother declared the girl' pain, vomiting, sleep troubles and depressive mood are being stabilized almost completely by the drug.
As for Mykalaya herself, she said marijuana makes her “feel funny, happy”.
“It helps me eat and sleep,” she added. “The chemotherapy makes you feel like you want to stay up all night long.”