close

Connellsville mother frustrated as marijuana bill sits

By Natalie Bruzda nbruzda@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
article image -

While vacationing in Myrtle Beach, S.C., a ray of hope came to Julie Michaels and her family Friday afternoon.

The Senate Law and Justice committee approved a bill that would legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes for patients with certain medical conditions.

“We were absolutely ecstatic at that point,” Michaels, of Connellsville, said. “We were told it would go to appropriations committee, and that it would be in and out and then onto the Senate floor.”

Sens. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, and Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, who cosponsored the bill, said they believed the bill would reach the Senate floor for a vote before the legislature breaks for summer recess.

However, at this point, it’s unclear exactly what is going to happen.

Michaels’ daughter, Sydney, suffers from Dravet Syndrome, a rare and catastrophic form of intractable epilepsy that begins in infancy.

According to Michaels, her 4-year-old daughter typically has around 3,000 seizures weekly. Her family is one of several in Pennsylvania calling for the full legalization of medical marijuana in the form of Senate Bill 1182, the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act.

The bill would permit people with medical needs and a doctor’s approval to obtain an identification card that would enable them to buy pot legally. It also would set up a state Medical Cannabis Board and an enforcement arm within the state police.

The proposed legislation would allow the state to oversee care centers that would work in conjunction with medical marijuana farms to treat patients with medical marijuana known as “Charlotte’s Web.” According to media reports, the strain has strong anti-inflammatory agents and has a high number of antioxidants. Couple that with weak levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient for getting high, the oil or pill-based treatment has been receiving high praise. The treatment was dubbed Charlotte’s Web after a 6-year-old child in Colorado used the drug with success to treat seizures, dramatically reducing the episodes and allowing the child a more active and healthy life.

After just unpacking from a trip to the beach, Michaels is packing again, planning to make a trip to Harrisburg if the bill does not reach the Senate floor before the lawmakers break for summer.

“We did some quick math and calculated that they’ll have 77 days off,” she said.

“That is 77 more days of seizures for my daughter, which means she will likely have another 30,000 plus seizures before they decide to discuss this again. Some don’t have 77 days left. It’s very frustrating.”

The Senate is again convening July 8, but Folmer said he’s not certain if the bill will come to the floor for a vote.

“The good news is that I got it in appropriations today (Tuesday),” Folmer said. “We are locked and loaded, and we’ll run it as soon as the opportunity comes. In the meantime, we’re going to continue working on the House to shore up our votes. I’m trying my best.”

Michaels said her daughter Sydney has been a little bit better as of late as they have been very careful and cautious with her, especially while on their beach vacation. They had to make special accommodations for her, such as taking her out to the beach after sunset, as light and heat are triggers for Sydney’s seizures.

“I’d love to take my kid out to the pool, and let her swim, but I can’t,” she said. “So we’re stuck here — in our darkened and cool house, just to keep her stable.”

She’s confident that they have enough Senate votes, so it’s just a matter of when.

“They’re going to be there anyway,” Michaels said. “Why not deal with this? Why not get it moving? We’re hoping to raise a little bit of noise here.”

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $4.79/week.

Subscribe Today