The Daily Spectrum from Saint George, Utah • Page A7

THE SPECTRUM DAILY NEWS STATE Thursday, August 29, 2013 A7 Mom wants medical marijuana Parent says it is the last hope to help her son's battle against epilepsy 1 Colorado. She said liquid pot would have no street value because it contains low quantities of the ingredient that gets people high. "It's not smoked, it's not eaten in brownies, nothing like that," she said, adding that it's given orally. Utah's Republican-led legislature has traditionally been opposed to efforts to decriminalize marijuana. However, that could change as people tell their stories of why it matters, said Connor Boyack, president of the Libertas Institute, a Utah libertarian policy group that supports the push.

He said legislation will be introduced in the next session that starts in January. "It is easy to oppose this when you think it's people getting high and people pretending that they're sick," Boyack said. "It's much harder to deny people this medical option when you know the specific circumstances of their story and how much relief it might bring them." Jennifer May builds a puzzle with her son, Stockton, at their Pleasant Grove. Stockton suffers debilitating seizures that keeps him from going to a full day of school and has severely stunted his development to that of a toddler, steve griffin ap By Brady McCombs Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY Jennifer May's 11-year-old son suffers debilitating seizures that have severely limited his development to that of a toddler and kept him from attending full days of school. She's tried numerous medications, diets and treatments, but says none has worked against Stockton May's rare form of epilepsy known as Dravet syndrome.

Jennifer May is a staunch Republican who once thought giving medical marijuana to children was crazy. Now, she's pushing for a state law that would allow the use of a liquid form of medical marijuana available in Colorado that she believes is helping children with the same syndrome. "We don't think it's a cure, we don't expect it to be a miracle. It just needs to be something we can try for our kids that don't have anything left," said May, 40, of Pleasant Grove. "I want to see if this can even give my child a quality of life for a few years." Her story was first made public in a blog post last week by the Libertas Institute, a Utah Libertarian group.

The Salt Lake Tribune wrote about her Wednesday. The Epilepsy Association of Utah supports May's push and notes the medical value of extracting cannabidiol from the cannabis plant for people with epilepsy. "It comes down to the medicines currently available," said Annette Maughan, president of the Epilepsy Association of Utah. "Either the side effects are horrendous and LODGING gPf)MING DOGGIE DAY CARE life-threatening or the efficacy of the drug is just not there." However, the Institute of Medicine and the American Medical Association have said more research needs to be done, while the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't support medical marijuana prescriptions for children, the Tribune reported. May isn't the only parent turning to medical marijuana to aid their children.

A family in Mesa, plans to give their 5-year-old son medical marijuana to help treat his genetic brain defect, the East Valley Tribune reported. In New Jersey, a family fought to get their 2-year-old with the same syndrome as Stockton May access to medical marijuana. Parent Brian Wilson confronted Gov. Chris Christie at a campaign stop, saying, "Please don't let my daughter die." Christie eventually signed off on legislation that allows marijuana to be distributed in edible form and permits growers to cultivate more than three strains. But he stopped short of eliminating a requirement that a pediatrician and psychiatrist sign off before children gain access to the drug.

Jennifer May became convinced the drug could help her son as she researched its use by children with the same syndrome. She talked with the mother of a 6-year-old girl named Charlotte in Colorado who said her daughter's life has improved dramatically since taking a strain of medical marijuana now called "Charlotte's Web." The strain comes from a genetically modified cannabis plant developed by a nonprofit in Colorado called Realm of Caring. So far, May's research has indicated there have been no side effects unlike other drugs and treatments for the syndrome. May has considered moving to Colorado and applying for a medical marijuana card but said that's impractical. Her husband has a good job with great medical insurance; her mother has cancer; and her two older children, an 18-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl are in high school.

"We have a lot to lose by moving," she said. May said she doesn't want to make it legal to grow pot in Utah but would like it to be possible to bring a liquid or oil form of the drug to Utah from 360 Main Cedar City, UT 84720 (435)238-4205 STATE NEWS IN BRIEF Man charged with assaulting woman with bear spray SALT LAKE CITY Authorities say a Utah man sprayed bear repellant at a woman who was left with a swollen face. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the Riverton man was charged Tuesday with aggravated assault, possession of a dangerous weapon, tampering with a witness and child abuse. The women's two children also reportedly suffered from the bear spray at her Sandy home. It wasn't clear what prompted the Aug.

24 attack. The nature of the man's relationship with the victim wasn't disclosed. Police found the man and his girlfriend in a nearby building. Investigators say they smelled of bear spray. 6 people rescued from stalled boat on Utah Lake PROVO Deputies say they rescued two adults and four boys believed to be Boy Scouts after they got stranded in a boat on stormy Utah Lake.

Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon told KTVX-TV an emergency call came in from near Lincoln Beach about 7 p.m. Tuesday. He said the group had been on a ski boat that stalled just as a thunderstorm rolled in. Cannon said rescuers transferred the group to a working boat and drove them safely to shore.

Cannon said the situation could have been a lot worse, noting that waves can grow to four or five feet on the shallow lake and make it dangerous for boaters. Officials discourage boating when a storm is in the forecast. Salt Lake County DA to review dismissed drug cases SALT LAKE CITY The Salt Lake County district attorney who dismissed a raft of drug cases out of West Valley City for lack of credibility says he's reconsidering his decision. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Sim Gill dropped more than 100 cases mainly because West Valley's city attorney refused to vouch for the character of the officers involved. Now the West Valley attorney is willing to cooperate.

Eric Bunderson says he couldn't respond earlier because he was conducting his own review of West Valley's troubled Neighborhood Narcotics Unit. Bunderson says he's ready to disclose any possible credibility problems of each officer. Gill tossed the cases after an internal review found officers mishandled evidence and kept souvenirs from drug busts. Gill says it's possible he could reinstate some of the cases. Associated Press All new- over 52,000 sq.

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