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Family Suing New Mexico Over Medical Marijuana Limitations

Family Suing New Mexico Over Medical Marijuana Limitations

Health

Family Suing New Mexico Over Medical Marijuana Limitations

The Sena family is suing the state of New Mexico after their 8-month old daughter, that suffers from a rare form of epilepsy, can get medical marijuana.

Family Suing New Mexico

Nicole and Ernie Sena are residents of New Mexico who have an 8-month old daughter that suffers from a rare form of epilepsy. Her condition induces tonic-clonic seizures, characterized by the violent movement sufferers endure during the episodes. Her mother reports:

She stops breathing and goes stiff. She then starts with the shaking, chewing and then the screaming. It’s a scary scream, and I hate to repeat that sound in my head

Cannabis Oil Treats Their Daughter

As many people know, compounds in cannabis effectively treat epilepsy. The Sena family eventually came upon this knowledge after numerous medications were ineffective in helping their little girl. When they discovered a cannabis oil called Haleigh’s Hope, they had finally found something that works for their daughter. It was so effective, in fact, that her seizures stopped completely.

It’s amazing because the doctors told us that she would never be active and would never move around

Growing Limitations Prove Difficult

However, stringent medical marijuana growing limitations in the state of New Mexico have greatly hindered the Sena family’s ability to administer the medicine their daughter needs. The state allows for a maximum of 450 plants to be grown annually, but for oils like Haleigh’s Hope, this limitation is far too great. As a result, the Sena family must drive all the way to Denver each month to get more oil. Nicole Sena told GRD:

Nobody should have to travel out of state to get a medication

And she’s right. As a result, she is suing the state of New Mexico’s health department. In response, The Department of Health issued its own statement:

There is currently no plan under consideration to raise the limit again. As 12 newly licensed producers get established there will be more medicine for patients. Data shows the number of plants in production has doubled, yield has increased as well as the amount of product available for patients after all completed sales in second quarter

Haleigh’s Hope

Despite the department’s optimism, Ultra Health, the manufacturers of the cannabis oil Haleigh’s Hope, shed some light on why more plants need to be utilized. According to them, most cannabis growers focus on THC plants, a chemical compound in cannabis that is different from the one used in their oil.

Producing Haleigh’s Hope requires a volume of cannabis plant material that is far greater than any other cannabis product.

As a result, the medication requires more than the allotted 450 plants allowed by the state of New Mexico. The Sena family hopes that this lawsuit puts enough pressure on the state to raise that limit in the future.

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