THE COUNTRY'S YOUNGEST MARIJUANA USER

I'm not sure that I am too crazy about this, but in the name of modern medicine, why not? So, an autistic 5-year-old boy from Mesa, Arizona is set to become one of the youngest patients in the country to be granted a medical marijuana card. It turns out; little Zander Welton's parents will be able to buy him pot as of this week in the hope that it stops the crippling seizures he suffers that turn him blue and stop his breathing. Zander is battling a genetic brain defect and has already undergone two major related surgeries. My problem with this is that the boy is only 5-years-old. Does he have to smoke it? Or does he get it in a pill like some cancer patients do? Also, how do we know that the marijuana isn't going to his parents? I mean, I guess if the doctor is prescribing it, this must be a legitimate case. 

Anyway, Jennifer and Jacob Welton say that the devastating illness has left their son trapped in his own body and that they are willing to try anything that may ease their child's suffering. Jennifer says, "I wouldn't even be thinking about this if it wouldn't do something beneficial. I don't want him stoned; I want him better." The desperate couple, who have been certified as caregivers so that they can buy the drug, plan to use drops that minimize the high that the marijuana will cause. 

The treatment is not said to be cheap. The Weltons will be funding the experiment themselves at a cost of $1,200 a month, which is almost like paying rent. Their only saving grace is that Zander's current $5,000-a-month pharmaceutical bill is picked up by the state. In this instance, I'm all for the state paying for someone's healthcare. This little boy needs the medical attention and experimentation to get better. Will marijuana help him, though? I have to be honest, I am a bit curious to see how this all unfolds because if it helps this boy, it will just be more proof that marijuana is good and not the evil gateway drug that everyone once thought it was. The unfortunate part about this whole story is that the boy is only five and as he gets older, smoking pot will be all he knows, which can lead to more problems in the future, but let's just see what happens here for now.