Parents in Central Pennsylvania are hopeful newly introduced legislation will save their childrens’ lives. The kids suffer from life-threatening seizures.
U.S Congressman Scott Perry’s bill would allow parts of a marijuana plant to reduce the number of seizures people have on a daily basis.
At a press conference at John Rudy Park, in York County, Mark Knecht, of Mechanicsburg, tells a crowd, “Your child is drowning, you have a life-preserver in your hand, but it’s against the law to throw your child the life-preserver.”
Knecht wants legislators to save his daughter, Anna, by legalizing cannabis oil and therapeutic hemp.
He says, “Every night when we tuck Anna into bed we kiss her and pray that tomorrow she wakes up.”
Anna is one of more than 300,000 children in America who suffer from some form of epilepsy.
Representative Scott Perry says, “There might be viable treatment that no one could use because of Federal misclassification of a plant.”
Perry wants to make sure parents in every state are given proper treatments to reduce the number of seizures. His legislation would give families access to cannabis, or CBD.
Perry says, “The bill removes CBD from the definition of a schedule one narcotic under the Controlled Substance Act. It legalizes a form of hemp that can contain no more than .3% THC which means it has no hallucinogenic effects.”
Deb Knecht, Anna’s mom says, “We’ve been on a medical diet since 8, surgeries, everything and the neurologist that said our last option is CBD oil.”
The Knechts are hopeful Perry’s bill will allow Anna and other children to play like other kids.
Deb says, “We would be able to go outside and enjoy the summer weather, we would be able to swim together, go hiking, biking. We would get rid of this wheelchair and she would be able to walk and run with other kids.”