The US state of Ohio has ruled against medical cannabis for patients with anxiety and autism spectrum disorders.
The decision, made by the State Medical Board of Ohio, was greeted by a shout of “shameful” as regulators left the meeting, reports Cleveland.com.
Last month a committee made up of the health regulator’s members said they were convinced by physicians that cannabis could be harmful.
Dr Anup Patel of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the city of Columbus, pointed out there are have been few double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of cannabis.
Ohio resident Carrie Taylor, has eight-year-old twins with autism and feels they could benefit from medical cannabis.
Ms Taylor says they injure themselves and are highly anxious. She says they have tried dozens of medicines and some have made them even more aggressive.
“They’re afraid, but they’re willing to load my kids with amphetamines.”
Mother Carrie Taylor
She said: “I just want to improve their quality of life in any way that I can.
“They’re talking about the possible side effects of medical marijuana.
“They’re afraid, but they’re willing to load my kids with amphetamines.”
Regular cannabis use increases the risk of developing a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, and the risk of a psychotic illness is higher if the user starts taking cannabis at a young age.
In June 2016, Governor John Kasich signed House Bill 523 to legalize the medical use of cannabis in Ohio.
There are 21 qualifying conditions for medical cannabis, including AIDS/HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, hepatitis C, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
