Two-year-old boy prescribed medical cannabis in battle against brain tumour
By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:51 PM on 23rd February 2011
Two-year-old Cash Hyde was given the drug to help ease debilitating symptoms as he battled a brain tumour and, according to his dad, it worked
A two-year-old boy is one of over 50 under-18s being prescribed medical cannabis in one U.S. state alone.
Toddler Cash Hyde, who lives in Montana, was given the drug to help ease debilitating symptoms as he battled a brain tumour and, according to his dad, it worked.
'I believe that you know Cashy's with us for a lot of reasons, one of them I would have to say is the power of prayer, one he's a walking miracle and the other one is he is a patient of medical cannabis, which has I think greatly benefited his battle,' Mr Hyde told KPAX News.
The young boy, who is now in remission, struggled to cope with the side-effects of chemotherapy but his parents say cannabis helped improve his appetite and made him sleep better.
'I watched Cashy not be able to eat for over 40 days, live off nothing but fluid intravenously to the point where he couldn't lift his head up off his pillow,' his father said.
Montana has a total of 51 medical cannabis card holders under the age of 18 - a much more modest number than it at first appears, argues the Missoula Chapter Director of Montana Medical Growers Association, Tayln Lang.
'When I see the number 51 and we're in a state of a million people that's a fraction of a percentage and even with the 28,000 people that are on the program, it's still a fraction not even 1 per cent, so the number is really really small,' he said.
The young boy, who is now in remission, struggled to cope with the side-effects of
chemotherapy but his parents say cannabis helped improve his appetite and made him sleep better
The toddler's father, Michael Hyde, said medical cannabis 'greatly benefited' his son's battle against illness
The prescription of cannabis, which some believe can affect brain development, to minors has caused concern, but Mr Hyde believes the benefits outweigh the negative effects.
'If you or someone you know has battled cancer I don't have to tell you how devastating it is to watch chemo and cancer consume your loved one and when you can actually watch something that you're doing for them actually benefit them in a way that nobody else can do, you feel empowered you feel like you can make a difference,' he said.
Supporters of the scheme are also quick to point out that, in many cases, children who are prescribed cannabis will not smoke it, but rather will ingest it in the form of cakes and muffins.
