Cops and Big Pharma Shamefully & Quietly Kill Legislation Allowing CBD Oil for Epileptic Kids By Justin Gardner November 24 , 2016
Idaho is having a hard time letting go of Reefer Madness . Despite being bordered by four states with legal medical cannabis , Idaho ’ s prohibition is so complete that it crushes the hopes of kids suffering from epileptic seizures .
An investigation by Eric Boehm at Reason . com found that “ cops , prosecutors , and lobbyists conspired to restrict a promising cannabis-derived seizure treatment .” “ In Idaho , a bill to allow people like Josh Phillips to access CBD oil was passed by the state legislature in 2015 , only to be defeated by a group of powerful special interests — including cops , prosecutors , and pharmaceutical companies — with direct access to policy makers in Boise . Emails obtained by Reason reveal a behindthe-scenes effort organized by the state ’ s Office of Drug Policy to derail the CBD legislation and , after it passed against the wishes of Gov . Butch Otter and his administration , to use executive authority to replace the bill with an alternative treatment program that has done nothing to help Josh Phillips or many other Idahoans suffering from seizures .”
The story begins with 19-year-old Josh Phillips , a wrestling enthusiast whose seizures prevented him from getting a chance at the state championship , and continue to put up roadblocks to a normal life . He is among the one-third of patients with intractable epilepsy , meaning pharmaceutical medications cannot control his seizures . He even went through brain surgery .
Now Josh wants to use cannabidiol ( CBD ) oil , a cannabis extract that is showing incredible results in stopping epileptic seizures . CBD , which does not cause a high , is available in pure , regulated forms in other states such as Colorado . But in Idaho Josh must become a criminal to use this miraculous substance .
The rapid expansion of medical cannabis research is continually showing that , in many cases , CBD oil is the only effective treatment for stopping seizures where all other drugs fail . The recent American Epilepsy Society conference hailed it as the most promising treatment .
Dozens , if not hundreds , of videos exist of parents stopping their child ’ s seizure with CBD oil treatment , including a new nasal spray that consistently stops grand mal seizures within 20 seconds . There are countless stories of families moving to Colorado or another cannabis-friendly states so they can ease their child ’ s suffering with pure products from reputable manufacturers . In the face of this indisputable evidence , 28 states have legalised medical cannabis , even socially conservative ones such as Utah . Idaho remains a holdout , and the forces perpetuating the injustice of prohibition are being exposed in all their ruthless ways .
What makes this story all the more infuriating is that Governor Clement Leroy “ Butch ” Otter is a former outspoken advocate for cannabis legalization , even saying :