- A judge has ruled that Brooke Adams, five, can take cannabis to treat her seizures at school
- Brooke, of Santa Rosa, California, suffers from Dravet syndrome - a genetic, severe form of epilepsy
- Her parents say her condition began improving after she began taking daily doses of medical cannabis oil
- The Rincon Valley Union School District said Brooke would not be allowed to take her medication because cannabis is not allowed on school grounds
- School officials have not stated whether or not they plan to appeal the ruling
A
five-year-old girl who takes medical marijuana to treat her seizures has
been allowed to keep bringing the drug to her California school, a
judge has ruled.
Brooke Adams, of Santa
Rosa, suffers from a rare form of epilepsy that - when left untreated -
can lead to seizures that last at least half an hour.
Her
parents, Jana and Jonathan, say things began to change after she was
prescribed new medication, a pill with medical cannabis oil.
But
the Rincon Valley Union School District in Santa Rosa sought to ban it
from school grounds because it contains the active ingredient in
marijuana.
On Friday, however, Judge Charles Marson sided with the Adams family, reported The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.
A
judge has ruled that Brooke Adams, five (left and right), who takes
medical marijuana to treat her seizures has been allowed to keep
bringing the drug to her California school. She suffers from a severe,
genetic form of epilepsy known as Dravet syndrome
Symptoms
associated with Dravet syndrome include prolonged and frequent
seizures, delays in speech and language, sleeping issues and chronic
infections. Pictured: Brooke with her mother, Jana, at their home in
July 2018
Brooke suffers from
what is known as Dravet syndrome - a genetic, severe form of epilepsy
that appears during the first year of life, according to the National
Center for Advancing Translational Diseases.
The condition is rare, affecting one in about 15,700 children, 80 percent of whom have a mutation in their SCN1A gene.
Common
symptoms associated with Dravet include prolonged and frequent
seizures, trouble with balance, delays in speech and language, sleeping
issues and chronic infections.
According
to the Dravet Syndrome Foundation, patients face a 15 to 20 per cent
mortality rate due to SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) and
seizure-related incidents such as drowning and infections.
There
is no cure for Dravet, but treatments work to reduce the number of
seizures and medications fall under the classification of first-line or
second-line.
Brooke was diagnosed with the syndrome when she was just an infant.
Her father, Jonathan, told KGNS that her seizures would last at least half an hour and leave her parents so scared that they would call paramedics.
Doctors tried treating her with several different anti-seizure drugs, but they proved to be mostly ineffective.
When
Brooke was one year old, her parents obtained a medical marijuana card
and that's when they say her symptoms dramatically improved.
They say her seizures began happening less frequently and, when they did occur, were for shorter periods of time.
Currently,
Brooke receives daily doses of cannabidiol (CBD) oil applied to her
gums and emergency tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) oil when needed.
'With the emergency THC medicine, she pretty much just like, takes a nap, and she's back to normal,' Jonathan told NBC Bay Area.
Brooke was diagnosed with Dravet
syndrome when she was just an infant and her parents say she used to
have seizures that lasted at least half an hour. Pictured: Brooke
suffering a seizure
Her parents said both the
duration and the frequency of her seizures shortened after she began
taking medical marijuana. Pictured: Brooke suffering a seizure
Currently, Brooke receives daily
doses of cannabidiol (CBD) oil applied to her gums and emergency
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) oil when needed
Both
THC and CBD, two of marijuana's main compounds, attach to receptors and
block the transmission of pain signals; but how it works in epilepsy is
not entirely understood.
Back in June,
the FDA approved the use of an oral CBD solution called Epidiolex to
treat Dravet syndrome and Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, another rare form of
epilepsy, in patients aged two and older.
But despite medical marijuana being legal in California, state law does not allow it within 1,000 feet of a school.
There
is a bill that has been introduced in the state legislature that would
allow children to take medicinal cannabis at school.
This law put the Adams family and the Rincon Valley Union School District head-to-head in a heated dispute.
In
July, Judge Marson issued a temporary order that permitted Brooke to
start kindergarten at Village Elementary School in August while the
district's objections were considered.
So far, a nurse who accompanies Brooke to school has had to apply the oil three times to treat seizures.
Despite
medical marijuana being legal in California, state law does not allow
it within 1,000 feet of a school. This law put the Adams family and the
Rincon Valley Union School District head-to-head in a heated dispute.
Pictured, left and right: Brooke
Judge Marson's temporary order
permitted Brooke to start kindergarten at Village Elementary School in
August while the district's objections were considered. Pictured: Brooke
being administered the oil
So far, a nurse who accompanies
Brooke to school has had to apply the oil three times to treat seizure.
Pictured: Brooke plays with her toys with her mother, Jana, in July 2018
On Friday, Judge Marson made the order permanent.
'I
was so overwhelmed with emotion and joy that we don't have to fight
anymore after a battle of over two years,' Brooke's mother, Jana, told
The Press-Democrat.
'She can just go to school like any other child and we don't have to keep pushing to get what she needs.'
The
family's attorney, Joe Rogoway, said he hopes the ruling opens the door
for other students who say they need to use a cannabis-based drug on
campus for medical reasons.
District officials said they were reviewing the decision and haven't decided whether to appeal.
Assistant Superintendent Cathy Myhers said the district is relieved to have legal guidance on the issue.
'We
are pleased with the decision and guidance,' Myhers said. 'We are happy
to have a decision that supports our ability to educate and serve this
student in our public schools.'
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