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Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts

Medical Marijuana for Asperger’s Syndrome

Can cannabis help those with high-functioning autism?

Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is considered a form of autism, rating high on the autistic spectrum. AS is exhibited in childhood and throughout life. Symptoms include social awkwardness, loud vocalizations, atypical speech, emotional detachment or over-attachment, anger management issues, and narrow interests that may become obsessive. Those with AS usually feel like they don't "fit in" with society. They're often smarter, more creative, or more observant than their peers and can excel in life when given a chance. Marijuana can be used to alleviate the negative symptoms and accentuate the positive aspects of Asperger's Syndrome.

How to Use: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) are the two main cannabinoids found in marijuana. THC is psychoactive, causing the "high" associated with marijuana use. CBD is non-psychoactive and has a calming effect. Aspies should choose high quality medical marijuana that has a high CBD to THC ratio. Use tinctures and edibles for long-lasting effects. Smoke or vaporize marijuana for a quick fix. Try mixing buds and leaves together to get more CBD's in your medicine.

Anxiety: Anxiety issues can make it impossible to lead a productive life. CBD's calm the body and mind to relieve stress. but beware of high THC concentrations that can cause severe anxiety and panic attacks.

Anger and Rage: Aspies are often ruled by their emotions and can have temper-tantrums well into adulthood. Smoke or vaporize marijuana as soon as you feel the anger rising and you should be able to calm down enough to talk about your feelings.

Gastrointestinal Disorders: Sufferers of AS can have stress management issues due to their inability to control emotions. This can lead to disorders of the gastrointestinal system, such as ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and Crohn's Disease. Marijuana has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties that can ease discomfort. If you are malnourished, use marijuana to stimulate your appetite.

Insomnia: Stress and depression can make it impossible to get a good night's sleep. Marijuana can help you fall asleep and stay asleep.

Racing Brain: Aspie brains can race out of control making it difficult to concentrate and communicate. Marijuana slows down your thought processes, enabling you to think clearly and focus on one subject at a time.

Socialization: Marijuana can alleviate social phobias, allowing you to leave the house and interact with the world without worrying about feeling different.

Medical marijuana may not work for everyone diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. You may have to experiment with THC to CBD ratios and methods of ingestion to find a treatment plan that works for you.


Medical Marijuana for Kids: Seizures and Epilepsy

Should parents ever consider giving marijuana to a sick child?

Scientific research and anecdotal evidence suggests those with seizure disorders can benefit from the use of medical marijuana, but would you give marijuana to your child? Many parents are facing that difficult decision and some are saying "yes".

Discovery Channel's Weed Wars documented a California father as he made the difficult decision to buy medical marijuana for his 5 year old son. Jason's son, Jayden, has been diagnosed with Dravet's Syndrome, a rare and deadly form of epilepsy. He suffers from severe seizures almost every day of his young life. After trying numerous pharmaceutical drugs with no success, Jason visited a marijuana dispensary. An employee suggested a glycerin-based tincture. Jayden took his first dose - just one drop of the sweet liquid - without complaint. Four days later, Jason said his son had not had a seizure since beginning marijuana treatment and never appeared intoxicated.

Marijuana has 85 known cannabinoids with Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) being the main focus of research. THC is psychoactive and causes the "high" associated with marijuana. CBD is believed to have more medicinal qualities. A University of Saskatchewan study indicated the THC in marijuana may intensify epileptic seizures while a University of Reading study showed anti-convulsive properties in CBD. Anyone choosing medical marijuana to control seizures should seek strains that have a high CBD to THC ratio. The tincture given to Jayden's dad was high in CBD and low in THC to maximize medicinal qualities and minimize psychoactivity.

Giving your child medical marijuana doesn't mean handing him a joint and a lighter. Today there are many options for ingestion including vaporizers, tinctures, extracts, teas, and edibles. Edibles can be purchased or made at home by infusing butter with a cannabis oil extract and then using the butter to make cookies or treats. A dose of CBD marijuana will not get a kid high and does not have the dangerous side-effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs. Some parents are making the choice give marijuana to children despite the controversy.






Sources:
Weed Wars on YouTube
"Marijuana Compound May Intensify Epileptic Seizures - Research at the University of Saskatchewan" University of Saskatchewan, News Release, August 10, 2004
"Cannibidiol exerts anti-convulsant effects in animal models of temporal lobe and partial seizures" University of Reading, December 3, 2010