Caregivers raise alarm at hearing over proposed changes to Maine's medical marijuana rules

Two years ago, doctors found a brain tumor in Michelle Caminos’ 2-year-old son that persisted despite surgeries, radiation and chemo.

The Waterville higher-education consultant was desperate when she asked the neurosurgeon about cannabis. He told her it would be “almost irresponsible to not try it,” she said. She reached out to the Maine caregiver community and quickly found a nurse practitioner and a specialist, Dr. Dustin Sulak, with experience in pediatric cancer. Within six months, all evidence of the disease is gone, she said.

“Without the caregiver community, none of this would be possible, I don’t even know if my son would be here,” Caminos said.

New rules under consideration by the state Department of Health and Human Services would eliminate parts of the Maine medical marijuana program that made it possible for Caminos to seek treatment for her son, she said. The rules would eliminate telemedicine, reduce how many plants and patients caregivers can have, allow patient inspections and eliminate legal protections for caregivers.

Read more: http://www.pressherald.com/2017/06/14/caregivers-at-maine-cdc-hearing-raise-alarm-over-proposed-medical-marijuana-rule-changes/