HealthWatch: Mother Says Marijuana Helped To Treat Her Autistic Son
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Medical marijuana is said to help many conditions, from epilepsy to chronic pain. Although lawmakers are still debating its use for treating autism, one mother says it saved her son.
"I'm sitting at my wit's end crying, not knowing what I can do for my son," Jamie Kropp said.
Her son, Kolt, was diagnosed with severe autism that made him combative and self-destructive. Kropp decided to move from Arizona to Colorado in order to get the 10-year-old qualified for a medical marijuana prescription.
Jamie Kropp (L), Kolt Kropp (C) and Dan Brandt (R) (credit: CBS)
"I knew if I came here to Colorado that I would be protected, that I could get Kolt his medical card and I could start treating him with cannabis," Kropp explained.
Kolt qualified due to a rare skin condition. His mother began giving him marijuana in different forms, including vaping and homemade tinctures with strong levels of the psychoactive component THC in them.
The state's health department warns medical marijuana can be harmful to children with autism but Kolt's mother says the benefits far outweigh the risks. Kolt's eating compulsion has reportedly stopped and he is now able to attend school without problems.
"There was a little boy lost inside of his body, since coming to Colorado we have gotten our family back."
