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Father Disturbed by 7-Year-Old Daughter's Medical Marijuana Use

With the help of her mother - and Oregon law - she's fighting off the effects of chemo

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by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t +

Mykayla Comstock / Image: The Oregonian

Marijuana legalization is very much in vogue lately. But when applied to kids, the stems supporting the movement appear a bit thornier.

Mykayla Comstock, an Oregon 7-year-old suffering from leukemia, is being treated with a gram of cannabis oil, applied daily by her mother, to fight the effects of chemotherapy. It's a regimen Comstock's father is none too happy with, however, despite Oregon law allowing for the medicinal use of marijuana - and the power of parents to administer it to their children.

Jesse Comstock, who is divorced form Mykayla's mother, said his daughter appeared "stoned out of her mind" on a recent visit, which prompted him to worry about long term damage to her brain. But Mykayla's mother, Erin, defends her decision to use marijuana to treat her daughter's cancer, which has since been in remission.

While a former oncologist called the marijuana use "inappropriate" for Mykayla, her mother contends that the drug has allowed for a return to normalcy in addition to helping her beat the cancer: "As a mother, I am going to try anything before she can potentially fall on the other side."

Via the San Francisco Chronicle.

Posted Nov 25, 10am PST.

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Is medicinal marijuana appropriate for a 7-year-old battling cancer?

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136 Comments (view in Forum)

  • MBernard
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    Loll that's not the article is about. But on another note. His daughter has cancer and his biggest worry is medical marihuana? What an idiot.
  • Fishbone345
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    People on Chemotherapy suffer extreme nausea and vomiting, not to mention the pain of the cancer they have to deal with as well. Personally I could not justify taking away something from my child that enables them to eat like a normal person.
  • CanisCanemEdit
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    Of course the Israeli Scientists developed a Medical marijuana that does NOT get the patient high. All of the healing benefits, none of the high that distracts.

    I have brought this up several times since June and no one wants to comment on the idea that you can have two variations of marijuana...recreational and medical.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-574661...

    IF the mother were using a derivative of the Israeli medical marijuana, the father would have no complaint and there would be no story.
  • Fishbone345
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    @CanisCanemEdit Didn't know about that. Thanks for the link. Hopefully we will see something like that come to our shores.
    Alas, their foe is Big Pharma. They don't want anyone chipping away at the bottom line, profit. Sad when healthcare becomes more business oriented rather than the focus being on the patients themselves.
  • CanisCanemEdit
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    @DARSB - Doubtful.

    Not until some Pharma company here steals the Israeli work and claims it's our own.

    However there are some interesting FDA references at the end of the article.

    Last line of the article: "The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's position states, "smoked marijuana has not withstood the rigors of science - it is not medicine, and it is not safe."
  • AceLuby
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    @CanisCanemEdit Simply because they will not allow it to be studied. It's pretty easy to say that when you are actively stopping scientists from studying it... unless, of course, your study aims to find reasons to show it's dangerous, it's unsafe, or should stay illegal.

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  • CATTLEPROD
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    I was actually more freaked out the other day watching "the soup" and seeing the pre-diabetic honey boo-boo being prepped for that condition by her mother with triple the sugar kool aid. And judging by the way they both look thats probably health food to them. That woman needs brought up on child abuse charges long before this one does.
  • CanisCanemEdit
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    Isn't it odd, that in this country, we applaud and make wealthy those who would truely damage a child while damning a woman that would attempt to keep her child alive?

    What an odd country we live in.
  • MBernard
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    @CanisCanemEdit wait, I thought the father was the only one that opposes it? Most of the post I've read, the people agree with the question and that it's ok to help her as she's getting treated.
  • CanisCanemEdit
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    @MBernard - Do you think that there is only one person on the planet that opposes the concept of a 7 yr old being given cabbanoid oil extract?

    What about the concept of using the Israeli hybrid...the one with no THC?
  • MBernard
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    @CanisCanemEdit my problem wasn't that people had problem with the type of marihuana being use. I just look at the issue and see a little girl fighting cancer, then I was shocked that the father's biggest worry is medical marihuana whatever type. I am saying if she was my daughter, I'd say I am blessed that she is being treated and that she won't die, and whatever helps with the pain, would be last worry.

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  • MongoAPillager
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    i bet if you tested the mother her use age is heavier than the daughters,i believe that the active ingredients can be removed from"Pot"thereby getting the benefits without the buzz,but lets be honest the only reason people raise such a fuss for pot is for the BUZZ,there are a lot more beneficial drugs out there but you hardly hear a peep about them as they don't get ya high
  • Zazziness
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    As a matter of fact, they already produce Marinol which is marijuana without the buzz. It has managed to kill people via overdose while marijuana in its natural form never has. It also lacks the cannabanoids which current research show to be extremely promising for cancer treatment and mitigating other ills, too.
  • Belin
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    @Zazziness
    My sons were given Marinol while they were in treatment. their doctor said, "frankly marijuana would help them more than Marinol, but I can't prescribe it because medical marijuana is not legal here yet"

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  • Zazziness
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    I would be hesitant about giving *any* drug to a child. Their brains are still developing and things that hardly phase an adult can be permanently detrimental to a child. That being said, caution about drugs would not stop me from letting my child have chemo therapy to treat cancer or from giving her recommended drugs to ease her suffering. There are times when the gain is worth the risk.
  • lawnmowrman
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    I see no difference between oil extracted from Mary Jane and prescription drugs to treat the same condition. If she benefits from it's use then good for her.
  • martydotcom
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    All you'd have to do is watch your child vomit and suffer interminable dry heaves to resolve your conflict. Speaking from exp. of adult chemo recipient
  • Republican5001
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    Completely inappropriate for a 7 y/o. Mother clearly under the influence of her daughters medication and is willfully endangering said child. There are other alternatives to treat lukemia than "medical" marijuana. Perhaps if her mother was responsible and not on dope, she would know that.
  • Comment removed for Engagement Etiquette violation. Replies may also be deleted.
  • Locutus
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    Here in the hypocrtic states of dumbdem we tend to rely on what the big companies know is best for us. I would rather she live the rest of her short life with some type of normalcy than be on a bunch of man made chemicals making the Pharacuetical companies richer. I bet her sperm donor listens to rush as well.
  • classychazy
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    You do realize that everything they are pumping into that child is toxic! Most of chemo bags can not be in direct contact with your own hands? Universe Precautions (gloves, masks, and gowns) are needed just to hang the bags and your worried about some pot oil being rubbed on her skin to help her suffering? You have issue!
  • Republican5001
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    @classychazy Well, since the chemotheropy medicine would be administered by a qualified and trained professional, not handled by a 7y/o, I'd take the bet the 7y/o would be in capable and far more medically qualified hands.

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  • AceLuby
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    Care to share these 'risks' and how they would be more than say... oxycodone or any number of pharmacy drugs that are prescribed every day to children?
  • MRMacrum
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    Of course it is. I have several friends who have benefited from it. Age should not be reason to withold medical treatment based on antiquated laws that have no bearing on the issue of medical care.
  • Realthinker
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    At first I thought I could see both sides of this issue, but after reading the full story, I think the state of Oregan needs to put some common sense restrictions on the use of cannabis in children. There is so much wrong here it is hard to know where to start. Her doctor was against the use of cannabis on this child. That should have put a stop to it. So Mom changed doctors, the new oncologist doesn't know about the drug use.(He does now.) The article says the leulemia is in remission so the child no longer needs the drug to help with the side effects of chemo, yet Mom continues to medicate her. Mom clearly believes the cannabis itself cured the cancer. The girl says she "feels funny" while Mom insists the child is "normal", even though her drug test indicates she is being given the equivalent of ten joints a day! Mom and boyfriend are medicating away the realities of life and teaching this poor child to do the same thing. If the chemo has ended and the child is in remission the drug use needs to stop, but Mom and boyfriend are getting a high from administering the oil to the child. Under Oregan law this insanity is legal.
  • classychazy
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    Would you please post the link with the full story? If what you say is true then the oil should be stopped immediately! If any further use of the oil is positive in a drug screen they both should be prosecuted. I am all for them using it to help with the side effects of chemo drugs, but not continuing to use it if she is done with the treatment. I want to see legalization, but with restrictions.
  • Realthinker
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    @classychazy At the bottom of the Politix story you will see a line that says Via The San Francisco Chronicle. Click on that and it takes you straight to the story.
  • Belin
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    St. Jude Children's Research Hospital gave my sons (2) that were going through bone marrow transplants a pill containing THC to help them. Their doctor even said that straight up marijuana would help more than those pills. My younger child had gone through cancer treatment twice for stage 4 Burketts Lymphoma before he had the bone marrow transplant. The first time he was 3, second time he was 7 and the bone marrow transplant when he was 9. They have him the THC pill everytime. Even when he had just turned 3. Sadly, after all he went through, he passed away from a blood clot, a pulmonary embolism. My older son survived, but now has severe medical issues including chronic graft verses host disease. He is in pain all the time, he has a hard time eating and is severely under weight. I cried so much when the medical marijuana didn't pass. He really needs it.
  • classychazy
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    My heart goes out to you for your lose. If this was my child they would get the pot whether it was legal or not. If I were you I would grow a couple of plants indoors this way you know there are no pesticides present in the weed and I would recommend vaporizing it or baking it into certain foods. I know you are breaking the law, but I would rather not see your child suffer needlessly. May many blessings be brought onto you and your son.
  • Belin
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    @classychazy
    Thankyou. My step-daughter died of cancer 3 days after my 10yr old. My husband took her home so she could pass away with friends and families. She was on a pain pump that completely drugged her up. My husband allowed her to smoke pot. After that, the hospice nurse was able to extremely scale back those drugs. That allowed 2 weeks of interaction with her, all the while lucid with her pain under control. She even got to go out one night with her friends. When she found out her little brother passed is when she lied down and didn't get back up. She died 3 days later. She was 17. See, we didn't use the name step in our family. We knew she had lost her fight. My 10yr olds transplant worked. We were supposed to go home just hours after he passed. It was from a blood clot. A pulmonary embolism. Everyone was shocked. I think there was a reason she made it as long as she did when she went home. She went to her true home to be with her little brother. Her biological mother had died when she was little. I think her mother has not only her daughter, but my son. I had them here, she has it for now, until I join them one day. Right now I am having to get my mother to chill out about maijuanna for my older son. He really needs it. It's tempting to move to where medical marijuanna is legal. What holds me back is that my mother is elederly. I was adopted when they were older.
  • Sabio
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    maybe we can end age restrictions on smoking and alcohol as well. Hell, why stop there? Lets end ANY AND ALL rules/laws/regulations that we feel are "outdated" or a "nuisance". That is the liberal leaning way isn't it? "Do whatever makes you feel good"? Is that not your motto?
  • AtheistStand
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    If the mother got prescriptions for Oxycontin, morphine, codeine,, or any super strong opiate/pain killer that causes lots of negative side effects....the dad and most of society would be just fine and dandy with that. But because the mother (who is obviously smart) chooses a DOCUMENTED natural pain reliever and appetite increaser that has ...if any...very minute side effects....well the only side effects from medical marijuana are actually positive......she is vilified.

    This kid is DYING. Where is the compassion? Oh yeah...it must be tucked away in their bible somewhere.

    This is an absolute no brainer.
    Hey mom.....you are doing the right thing.
    Hey dad.....get a clue.
  • Realthinker
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    Actually she is not dying. The full article (the link is at the end of the Politix story) says the girl is in remission and no longer receiving chemo, yet the mother continues to give her the dosage equivalent of ten joints per day. The Politix article is a poor synopsis of the issue.
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