Oklahoma aprobó el uso de la marihuana medicinal

El Latino American

By Tim Farley

Oklahoma City.-Una medida firmada por el gobernador Mary Fallin permitirá a adultos el uso de un bajo nivel de la marihuana medicinal para ciertas condiciones de salud.

Fallin firmó la ley el viernes cuando el autor de ésta propuesta de ley Jon Echols expresó la necesidad de los que adultos con epilepsia y otras enfermedades pueden ahora tomar una combinación de aceite de cannabidiol (CBD) y el tetrahidrocannabinol (THC). La cantidad de THC, el ingrediente activo en la marihuana, se limita a tres décimas del uno por ciento. Las condiciones médicas que califican para su uso son esclerosis múltiple, paraplejia, náusea insuperable y estimulación de apetito y vómitos con enfermedades emaciación crónicas como el cáncer.

"Esto es una extensión de un programa muy exitoso que ha hecho la vida de los niños mejor y a su vez mejora la vida de los adultos", dijo Echols.
Pacientes que usan el aceite de CDB deben estar bajo la dirección de un médico o ser parte de un ensayo clínico. Echols empujó una ley similar durante la sesión legislativa del 2015 que permite a los niños usar el aceite de la CDB. Dicho proyecto de ley fue nombrada después la sobrina de Echols, quien sufre de convulsiones y síndrome de Dravet. Echols dijo que algunas enfermedades se eliminaron de su propuesta durante las negociaciones en el Senado, pero admitió que es un paso en la dirección correcta para ayudar a más Oklahomans a tratar sus condiciones médicas.

"la aprobación de este proyecto de ley) fue difícil porque necesitaba que miren a la gente que realmente tenían este problema", dijo. Las historias de niños que se beneficiaron durante el último año con el aceite de CBD son infinitas. La sobrina de Echols, Katie Dodson, ha avanzado y ahora está asistiendo a la escuela y realizando diversas actividades de manera regular. Katie y su familia son residentes al sur de Oklahoma City
"Estamos muy emocionados", dijo Kelli, que la propuesta de ley #2835 ahora se ha convertido en ley. "Sabemos que Katie puede continuar con el uso del aceite de CDB después de que cumpla los 18 años. Esto ayudará a muchos que son mayores de 18 años que no hanpodido controlar sus crisis convulsivas. "
"Estamos tratando de ayudar a los mas que se pueda", dijo. Los médicos de Katie también han cambiado los productos farmacéuticos que usaban en ella porque le causaban efectos secundarios negativos, y la han colocado en un nivel terapéutico usando el aceite de CDB, dijo su madre.
Otro muchacho de 12 años de edad, Robert Boren, fue diagnosticado con ataques cardiacos pero ya no tiene ningun episodio y vive la vida como lo hizo antes que fuera diagnosticado con epilepsia gracias al aceite CBD. "Esto es increíble", dijo la madre de Robert, Shelly Boren.

Trabajó bien para los niños, pero la pregunta se convirtió en lo que haríamos con los niños cuando cumplian los 18 años? Que no podíamos tomar el aceite y que vuelva a tener convulsiones otra vez, Echols dijo. El aceite CBD y THC deben ser enviadas de otro estado porque THC todavía sigue siendo ilegal en Oklahoma y no puede ser cultivado aquí. Proveedores de aceite CBD en Colorado fabrican una variedad especial de la droga para Estados como Oklahoma que limitan el contenido de THC a 0.3 por ciento. Aceite de CDB es ahora legal en 16 Estados, incluyendo Oklahoma. Los otros son Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Carolina del norte, Carolina del sur, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Idaho y Nueva York.

ENGLISH

Oklahoma Approved Use of Medical Marijuana

El Latino American | By Tim Farley

Oklahoma City-OK.-A measure signed by Gov. Mary Fallin will allow adults to use a low-level of medical marijuana for certain health conditions.

Fallin signed the bill Friday as House author Jon Echols expressed delight that adults with epilepsy and other diseases can now take a combination of cannabidiol oil (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The amount of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, is restricted to three-tenths of one percent. The medical conditions that qualify for its use are multiple sclerosis, paraplegia, intractable nausea and vomiting and appetite stimulation with chronic wasting diseases such as cancer.
“This is an expansion of a very successful program that has made the lives of children better and will make the lives of adults better,” Echols said.
Patients who use the CBD oil must be under the direction of a physician or be part of a clinical trial.
Echols pushed a similar bill during the 2015 legislative session that allows children to use the CBD oil. That bill was named after Echols’ niece who suffers from seizures and Dravet Syndrome.
This time around, Echols said some diseases were eliminated from his bill during negotiations in the Senate, but he conceded it’s a step in the right direction to helping more Oklahomans deal with their medical conditions.
“It (bill’s passage) was difficult because you needed people to look at what it really was,” he said.
The stories of children who benefitted during the past year from the CBD oil are endless. Echols’ niece, Katie Dodson, has made progress and is now attending school and doing various activities on a regular basis. Katie and her family are south Oklahoma City residents.
“We are so excited,” Kelli said, of House Bill 2835 now becoming law. “We know Katie can continue on the CBD oil after she turns 18. This will help so many who are over 18 and haven’t had their seizures controlled.”
Kelli said she’s also spoken with several parents of young children and adults about accessing CBD oil for their medical condition.
“We’re trying to help anyone we can,” she said.
Katie’s doctors also have taken her off two pharmaceuticals, which have negative side effects, and placed her at a therapeutic level for the CBD oil, her mother said.
Another 12-year-old boy, Robert Boren, was diagnosed with cardiac seizures but no longer has any episodes and is living life as he did before the epilepsy was diagnosed thanks to the CBD oil.
“This is awesome,” Robert’s mother, Shelly Boren, said. “Before this, we had people tell us why can your son be saved but mine can’t just because he’s 19. Now, they can be taken care of. We’ve been spreading the word since it was signed.”
Shelly met with two doctors in her hometown of Stigler with the physicians promising to receive training on accessing CBD oil such as Hailey’s Hope.
“This wasn’t about one, two or three people in our group,” she said. “We want to help all these families. I’ve already talked to two families this morning (Tuesday).”
The measure stirred emotions on both sides of the issue before finally passing the House and Senate and then signed by Fallin.
“Part of that was getting people to understand what was in the substance. As a conservative, there’s no argument with this form of CBD oil because it has no possibility of abuse. That was a big fight, getting people to understand what it would do.”
Passage of HB 2835 was vital because some patients who were using the CBD oil as minors are getting ready to become adults.
“It worked well for kids but the question became what would we do with the kids who turned 18? We couldn’t just take them off of the oil and have them return to having seizures again,” Echols said.
The CBD oil and THC must be shipped from another state because THC still remains illegal in Oklahoma and cannot be grown here. CBD oil providers in Colorado manufacture a special strain of the drug for states like Oklahoma which limit the THC content to 0.3 percent.
CBD oil is now legal in 16 states, including Oklahoma. The others are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Idaho and New York.