Saturday, February 28, 2015
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) A cannabis extract some parents believe may help treat seizures experienced by their children with epilepsy may be available in Missouri this fall.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture last week issued permits for two companies to grow cannabis under a state law allowing some epilepsy patients to obtain an extract from cannabis plants, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune.
The extract legalized in Missouri must have low amounts of the high-producing chemical tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and high amounts of cannabidiol, or CBD, which is the component parents believe helps ease seizures. The patients must register with the state with a doctors permission and must have attempted three other epilepsy treatments before turning to the cannabis product.
Rep. Caleb Jones, who sponsored the measure last year, said its frustrating for the families who need treatment to have to wait. Some have moved to Colorado and other states where the CBD extract is available to get it for their children with epilepsy.
Several lawmakers, including Jones, recently participated in a fundraiser for the Epilepsy Foundation.
Going to an epilepsy dinner and seeing those parents talk about their children, how much they love them and how they would do anything for a treatment, and knowing you were a part of making treatment available to them, I think that is probably the best gift I have ever gotten as a legislator, Jones said.
Licenses were issued to BeLEAF Corp. and the Noahs Arc Foundation of Missouri in Chesterfield. Mitch Meyers, of BeLEAF Corp., said the extract may be available by September. She is still in the process of obtaining building permits for a St. Charles County location and plans to find three locations across the state to sell it.
As soon as the ground thaws, well start digging, Meyers said.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
See more here:
Missouri issues licenses to grow hemp for epilepsy patients