TOW #14 - I Made My Son Cannabis Cookies. They Changed His Life

Legalizing recreational drugs seemed like fantasy talk until California allowed medical use of marijuana in 1996.  Following California’s lead, Colorado and Washington then legalized it recreationally in 2012.  Many far right conservatives oppose marijuana due to the fact that it is a drug and categorize it with others such as crystal meth and heroin. Contrary to their beliefs, marijuana is one of the few substances that is not fatal.  Due to its positive effects on certain diseases, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, mother of a child with a gut disease and autism, decided to use it for her child.  In her piece, Lee details the problems with finding the right way to treat her son, from cookies to oil, and her struggles in finding the right type of marijuana and provider.  With more problems becoming evident each day, Lee struggles to maintain her supply of medication to keep her son safe without breaking the law.  Her emotional story emphasizes the fact that marijuana should be legalized for medical use in more states.

Lee’s son has had medical problems since he was young.  By including anecdotes on her son’s struggles, Lee appeals to other parents who struggle with similar problems.  Lee’s son, “was consumed by violent rages.  He would bang his head, scream for hours and literally eat his shirts” (2).  At one point, her son “put his head through a window and cut his face in a frenzy of pain” (18).  Not only was it hard to prevent these violent flare ups from happening, but it was difficult to stop them when they started.  Lee resorted to cannabis cookies and oil to calm him down and prevent harmful actions.  After throwing his head through a window, cannabis oil was able to calm him “down enough that we could bring him to the ER” (18).  Tugging at other parents’ heartstrings, Lee’s own problems emphasize the parental need to keep their child safe.  No mother or father wants to see their child hurt themselves in fits of anger and pain.  Unfortunately for Lee the only way to curb the fits is with an illegal substance.  By including painful memories of her son, parents sympathize and are shown the beneficial effects of medical marijuana. Marijuana is able to treat many peoples's problems when it comes to health. When there is no other option to take, it is essential for those struggling to take medical marijuana to relive pain and suffering. With laws stopping those in need from having better lives, many are advocates of legalizing cannabis. Lee's story brings to question, to what extent does one's political views on drugs stop others from achieving a more safe and painless life?