Medicinal use of marijuana approved for a Mexican girl
- The judge authorizes Graciela Elizalde's parents to use a cannabis extract to alleviate their daughter's epilepsy
Eight-year-old Graciela Elizalde, whose illness, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, has sparked debate in Mexico about the therapeutic use of marijuana, has been the subject of much discussion. A judge has authorized the girl's parents to import and use cannabis oil (cannabidiol) to reduce the severe epileptic seizures she suffers. However, Mexican health authorities oppose administering the treatment, arguing that there is no conclusive scientific evidence regarding its effects.
Marijuana use is prohibited by law in Mexico for both recreational and medicinal purposes. The petition filed by Graciela's parents in court is the first to go this far and could pave the way for patients whose medical history requires cannabis to alleviate their illnesses. "We are pursuing this because we are desperate," Raúl Elizalde, the girl's father, explained to the Mexican press.
From a young age, Graciela has suffered from epileptic seizures that have intensified over the years. Lennox-Gastaut syndrome has left her physically disabled, and with each passing day, her intellectual capacity diminishes, accompanied by frequent convulsions. After visiting several doctors and being administered 19 different anticonvulsants over the past seven years, her parents learned the story of Charlotte Figi, a six-year-old American girl with the same condition who consumed cannabis oil and experienced a remarkable improvement.
The authorities' refusal to allow the minor to consume the cannabis extract has been persistent.
“Why can’t Grace have the same access to this treatment?” asks Mayela Benavides, the mother of the girl from Monterrey (Nuevo León state). Figi lives in Colorado, one of the 15 U.S. states that allow cannabis for therapeutic use. In Latin America, only Uruguay and Chile allow marijuana to be administered to patients. The debate has never been on the table in Mexico, until now. “It could reduce her seizures and she could have a better quality of life,” argues Elizalde.
The authorities have consistently refused to allow the minor to consume the cannabis extract. The Public Prosecutor's Office has appealed the judge's decision authorizing the product's importation, so the matter remains pending in court. The Ministry of Health has stated that this alternative would violate the General Health Law because "there is no conclusive scientific evidence regarding the efficacy and safety" of this treatment.
The case has already begun to stir political tensions. A group of deputies from the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD, left-wing) has introduced a proposal to amend the General Health Law and allow the use of marijuana-derived products as medicinal treatments. In recent decades, Mexican cartels have increased the production and illegal export of marijuana to the United States. At the same time, the violence stemming from the struggle between cartels and authorities over drug trafficking has reached historic levels.
If Graciela's parents obtain final authorization, they would have to travel to the United States to purchase the medicinal marijuana extract, and the girl could consume it under medical supervision. At just eight years old, Grace has already sparked a national debate on the issue.
Fountain: elpais.com
http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2015/09/05/actualidad/1441414715_538651.html