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CBD Oil Can Treat Epilepsy in Children, but it Can't if School Districts Won't Allow it to be Administered

CBD oil could treat some conditions like seizures, anxiety, and insomnia with few of the side effects of more traditional treatments. Photo: Flickr Creative Commons

Gummy bears with CBD oil can stop six-year-old Zoe Adams from having debilitating seizures which means she can go back to school. But Volusia County Schools considers the oil to be a class one controlled substance which means Adams can’t take it on school property.

That’s something Florida House Representative Carlos Guillermos Smith says is against state law.

“71 percent of Florida voters said that they wanted to approve a constitutional right to medical cannabis for qualified patients. That includes children who now have a constitutional right to medical cannabis if they have a qualifying medical condition.”

Zoe’s family is asking the Volusia County School Board to change its policy on administering CBD oil on school grounds.

Harvard Medical School says CBD does not contain the high-inducing properties of medical marijuana, but does treat seizures, anxiety, and insomnia with few side effects. As a dietary supplement, however, it is not regulated by the Federal Drug Administration for safety and purity.

If you'd like to listen to the full story, please click on the clip above.

 

Danielle Prieur covers education in Central Florida.