Could it be that twelve-year-old medical cannabis refugee from Texas, Alexis Bortell, will win her lawsuit against the US government and legalize cannabis nationwide? We sure hope so!
Alexis is one of four individual plaintiffs in the law suit against US Attorney Jeff Sessions along with Marvin Washington, a former NFL lineman; Jose Belen, an Army veteran; and Jagger Cotte, a 6-year-old Georgia boy with Leigh syndrome. The case will be heard Wednesday, February 14, 2018 at 11 am at the federal courthouse located at 500 Pearl Street in Manhattan, NY and is open to the public. Monitor #IStandWithAlexis for posts about the case.
Alexis started having seizures when she was seven years old. After trying every medication available to her to no avail, she and her family moved to Colorado so she could use cannabis safely. Now, Alexis has been seizure free for three years.
Alexis’ seizures cannot be controlled by cannabidiol (CBD) alone. She requires tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In fact, she carries with her a rescue spray with THC just in case she feels a seizure emerging. The move to Colorado has made it possible for Alexis to live a fairly normal life. However, she cannot travel to see relatives, visit national parks or go to Disneyland! The same is true for others who require cannabis for their survival!
Cannabis is currently a Schedule I drug as defined by the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule 1 drugs are considered to have no known medical use, be highly addictive and have a high potential for abuse. This is the same classification as heroin. Interestingly, synthetic THC is sold under the brand name Marinol and classified as a Schedule III drug (the same class as Vicodin).
To date, twenty-nine states and DC have medical cannabis laws and nine states and DC allow adult use. An overwhelming majority of Americans – now over eighty percent – support the legalization of medical cannabis and over sixty percent support legalization for adult use. And, for the first time legislation has been filled in the U.S. House and Senate to legalize cannabis. Click here to learn more about this important legislation called the Marijuana Justice Act.
Regardless if you are a kid who needs cannabis to manage your chronic illness to lead an almost normal life, or one with a debilitating disease, if you are a veteran with PTSD, an NFL player trying to manage the effects of repeated head trauma and general wear and tear on your body, or if you are battling cancer, depression or have an unmet need for relief from a chronic ailment, safe legal access to cannabis should be available to us all!
One way to help raise awareness for this case and support Alexis (and her fellow plaintiffs) is by changing your profile picture across social media to the downloadable picture at the top of this post. And follow Alexis at https://www.facebook.com/HealAlexis.
UPDATE: February 14-15, 2018 the Judge heard arguments from the federal government lawyer and the plaintiffs to consider the federal government’s request to dismiss the case. After testimonies were heard from both sides, the judge acknowledged that medical cannabis had improved the lives of the plaintiffs and decided to postpone a judgement in the case. For additional coverage see:
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