Parents Want To Treat Son With Marijuana Extract Immediately

By Nick Blumberg
Published: Wednesday, November 13, 2013 - 4:25pm

The parents of a Mesa boy with a rare brain condition are asking a court to immediately let them treat their son with a medical marijuana extract. Jennifer and Jacob Welton’s 5-year-old son Zander suffers from epilepsy, autism and slow development.

They got him certified as a medical marijuana patient and started treating him with an oil high in the cannabis extract CBD. It has no psychoactive effects, meaning Zander does not get high, but his parents say the extract has stopped his chronic seizures and aided his development.

Officials including Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery have warned such extracts are illegal under the state’s medical marijuana law.

The ACLU has filed suit on the Weltons’ behalf. Wednesday, they asked a court for preliminary injunction. That would let the Weltons keep using the extract until a judge rules on the suit, without worrying about prosecution. No court dates have been scheduled yet.