Why I Give My 9-Year-Old Pot
We hit a snag and made a big discovery about how medical marijuana works for him.
This is the third DoubleX essay from Marie Myung-Ok Lee about treating her autistic son with marijuana. Read her first essay here
and her second essay here.
Last summer, we reached the six-month mark in our cannabis experiment. We’d been using medical marijuana to help quell our autistic son’s gut pain and anxiety, and we were seeing some huge changes in his behavior and, presumably, his happiness. J was smiling, interacting (one of home-based therapists said she’d never encountered such an affectionate autistic child), even putting his dirty dishes in the dishwasher—rinsing and everything!—not only without being told, but without ever having been asked to do such a thing.
One of the reasons Marie’s son is experiencing gut pain is his inability to digest properly. It is a well known fact that autistic kids have difficulty digesting gluten and dairy. Making dietary changes can make a huge difference to a child’s health, mentally and physically. I don’t believe medical marijuana for a nine year old is the key. What will happen to him in the future – will he need to rely on marijuana just to get through the day? Marijuana is not the answer. Poor kid.
Aotearoa/NZ cant even get a med-pot bill past the first reading of parliament.. even for adults only.
For children ???
Kia-ora Koutou
susan i think ur wrong and being critical.
Experimenting with marijuana isnt wrong.
In fact see it the opposite way . Gluten and dairy are more un natural than a plant that has over thousands of years evolved and managed to stafe its way into existance in this world. Marijuana is a hundred percent natural herb. humans have probably been using it for milleniums. In our world of fast paced development.. i feel an autistic child should have what they desire simple to be fair and just if it makes them feel better .
like they say. a single bout of hapiness can overcomea world of grief. What f the medcinal benefits giv this autistic child a reson to work harder and become sumthing in life rather than just change his diatery habts and be like every other autistic ??
Smoke.
Do you know what gluten is?
Plants and herbs do not always equal safety. Just because it is natural/plant does not mean it is not harmful. I work in the natural health industry and there are many many herbs that can be very harmful if used incorrectly. All I am saying is why reach for marijuana for children when some dietary changes can be the key.
I know of a number of parents that have made small dietary changes for their autistic children and a lot of the severe symptoms they exhibit (ie abdominal pain, diarrhea and/or constipation) have disappeared. What you don’t realise is that gluten and dairy can cause a morphine like reaction in an autistic childs body. The more they have the more they crave. The food is not digested properly and is released into the blood stream. It affects them not only on a physical level but on a mental level.
Is it the child’s desire for marijuana? Really – you believe that?
Funny you should make the comment about working harder. I thought marijuana did the complete opposite.
NO Marijuana makes me want to do thing’s all the time and i have a bad back