Practicalities prevent area parents from benefits of cannabidiol law
By Christinia Crippes, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"It is a gateway to me meeting my child," the
Decker and her husband, Mike, have a standing offer from their doctor for a prescription for cannabidiol to administer to their 2-year-old son, Garrett, for his regular seizures, and they're willing to give it a try.
Or they would be, if the practicalities of obtaining the medicinal drug were not overly burdensome to the young couple, even with the immunity granted by a state law passed earlier this year for possession of the otherwise illegal substance.
The Deckers are among a handful of
"We're just adding and adding and adding," said
Weichers, of
She's at the point of being ready to discuss the possibility of cannabidiol.
Weichers had that opportunity, along with the Deckers and other
A bitter bill to swallow
Parents whose children have intractable epilepsy followed the legislative session closely, constantly worried the bill wouldn't pass or the governor wouldn't sign it. Then they were ultimately disappointed at the limited scope of the legislation.
"Don't expect me to be jumping up and down about that bill, because it still needs a lot of work," said
Elser said her daughter is missing out on so much of her life because of the lesser-of-two-evils prescription medications she's on, so she sees amending the bill as a time-sensitive issue.
Granted the opportunity to make three wishes for
Each of the three requests had to do with accessing an otherwise illegal substance in the state. Their suggestions were:
--Allowing the medicinal drug to become available in
--Making it available when the doctor recommends it, and not as a last resort.
--Ensuring insurance covers the costly medication.
Currently, the law means families who get prescriptions from an
While
"You can show them the card, but it has no legal authority," Dotzler conceded. "It's sad, really, when you think about the risk you're going to take."
The families weren't willing to risk jail time because there wouldn't be anyone to watch their children.
Rather than a last resort,
"It's taking the decision out of our doctors' hands, basically,"
She said when she looked into it, the cost for about a three-month supply equaled
Taking the next step
Still, the families expressed some gratitude the state has taken one small step forward.
Iowa Rep.
Kressig said, in fact, the interim committee that he and Dotzler will serve on is aimed at learning more about cannabidiol and addressing what changes may be needed.
Both Kressig and Dotzler supported the bipartisan legislation in 2014, though they acknowledged compromises made to ensure passage make it harder for families to access the drug.
Iowa Rep.
The Democratic lawmakers said the meeting will feature medical experts and parents, among others, to talk about the bill that passed and what changes should be made. Dotzler said the committee will likely make recommendations to
But Dotzler also has another goal in mind.
"It's our hope that it's going to help educate people that are pretty skeptical about the law," Dotzler said.
Both Kressig and Dotzler stressed the importance of parents like those they met with for helping to educate others about the law and how more work needs to be done.
Dotzler acknowledged it might not help all parents, but he said it should be an available option for people who suffer from intractable epilepsy.
"If this is going to help these kids, we should be doing it," Kressig said.
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