If you haven’t read about it yet, news outlets have been talking about a woman suffering from cerebral palsy who is publicly stating that using marijuana made her a better person. The mother to several children also stated that weed made her a better mother as it made it possible for her to talk without stuttering and also move around more due to muscle relaxation brought on by the effects of smoking the substance.
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Ms. Jacqueline Patterson (a Kansas City, Missouri native) risks prosecution every time she purchases marijuana with the intention of alleviating her Cerebral Palsy symptoms. She also claims that it works better than conventional pain relief or muscle relaxation medication prescribed by doctors. If she ever gets arrested for buying the banned substance, she says she might lose custody of her children. The irony of this situation is that she claims to use marijuana so that she can be a better mom.
Medical marijuana is now legal in 20 states, and there are at least 13 more with pending medical marijuana legislation. So is marijuana recommended for those with cerebral palsy? Probably not (especially when it comes to children), but the bottom line is that more studies need to be conducted. Ms. Patterson finds that it helps her, but that does not necessarily mean it will have the same affect on other individuals.
While cerebral palsy doesn’t progressively get worse with time, it often requires years of physical therapy and expensive gear. While we’re not ready to flat-out endorse medical marijuana as treatment for cerebral palsy symptoms, we do welcome any and all information when it comes to Cerebral Palsy issues.