For 15-year-old David Brill, life changed for the better when his parents began giving him cannabis. David has a seizure disorder which can cause up to 15 seizures a day for the young man. Allowing him to try cannabis brought much-needed relief. In fact, David went a whopping 71 days without a single seizure -- his parents, Suzeanna and Matthew, say he's never gone that long without seizure activity before. But now that the government has stepped in, things aren't looking so good for the Brill family.
When David tested positive for cannabis, the state took him from his parents -- and is now threatening them with jail time for "reckless conduct." Since when is giving your child life-saving medicine reckless? Only in the eyes of a corrupt, agenda-driven government that cares more about corporate interest than the actual well-being of its people is such an act worthy of jail time.
Health freedom and parental rights under attack
After someone "alerted" the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services to the fact that the Brills' were treating their son's seizure disorder at home with cannabis, swift action was taken by the government. In addition to putting the Brills' in jail for six days, David was taken from his parents on April 20th. On that day, David reportedly suffered a major seizure and needed to be hospitalized.
The state of Georgia does have a law allowing the use of low-THC cannabis for the treatment of seizure disorders -- but you need to have a medical marijuana card to get it. However, there is a six-year waiting list to get a card. For children like David, that is six years too long.
Perhaps someone should explain to health officials that seizures can be lethal? One in 1000 people will die from a seizure -- and that's in seizure disorders that are well-controlled. For people with uncontrolled seizure disorders, the risk of death is many times higher.
A six-year waiting list isn't just ridiculous -- it is inhumane. It is also indicative of a government that is bent on keeping life-saving medicine out of the hands of its people, perhaps to protect corporate interests or simply, perhaps, out of ignorance. It's hard to differentiate the two sometimes, isn't it?
The Twiggs County sheriff defended the charges against the Brills, stating, "It is my duty to enforce state law."
It is true that the Brills broke the law when they got weed for their son -- even if it was with the absolute best intentions in mind.
But what about when state laws impede access to much-needed care, as they did in the case of David Brill? Had this child been granted access to the life-saving medicine he needed, his parents wouldn't have had to break the law. At what point is the government hurting instead of helping?
Brill's parents say cannabis was a last resort; when nothing else would help their son, they took a risk. How many parents can honestly say they wouldn't even consider breaking the law, if it was in their child's best interest to do so?
The Brills have said they understand that while they may have broken the law, they do not consider themselves to be criminals. "I'm a father that did what it took to make sure my son was okay," Matthew Brill commented.
Studies continue to show that cannabis has a myriad of health benefits and medicinal uses -- ranging from treating seizure disorders like David's, to curing cancer. Perhaps that's why the pharmaceutical industry is so intent on keeping it illegal. Learn more about cannabis at CBDs.news.
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