Desperate Dad Administers Cannabis Tincture to Epileptic Son on "Weed Wars" Episode 2

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Harborside Health Center says that this week's second episode of the popular Discovery Channel reality series will focus on the federal crackdown on the medical marijuana industry in California, and the plight of two parents seeking effective treatment for their children's debilitating illnesses. Due to the popularity of the program, Discovery has announced additional airdates for rebroadcasts of “Weed Wars.”

Oakland, CA (PRWEB) December 08, 2011

“Weed Wars,” the new Discovery Channel series about Oakland cannabis club Harborside Health Center that debuted last Thursday, will air its 2nd episode, “Federal Crackdown,” tonight at 10 pm ET/PT. This episode focuses not only on the recent crackdown by the Feds on medical cannabis dispensaries, but also the heart-wrenching accounts of two parents who turn to cannabis-based medicine to treat their severely ill children.

In Episode 2, Jason, a young single father who seeks cannabis therapy to stop his five year old son Jayden's epileptic seizures, and Theresa, a mother who uses medicinal cannabis to help her paraplegic son Ronnie, who has Cerebral Palsy.

The first story concerns Jayden, a five year old diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome—a rare and debilitating form of epilepsy that begins in infancy. Having witnessed his son's first epileptic seizure at the age four months, a frightening hour-long ordeal, his father Jason sought out traditional medical treatments—which had minimal affect on his son's seizures.

Desperate to find an effective medication, Jason learned through research that medicinal cannabis is effective for controlling seizures and seeks the assistance of the subject of “Weed Wars,” Harborside Health Center.

After a comprehensive consultation at the Oakland holistic healing center, the staff recommends treating Jayden with a tincture containing a high level of cannabidiol (CBD), a health-restoring compound in cannabis that has been shown to help control convulsions, and low amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive agent found in marijuana.

Jayden receives his first dose of the treatment on-camera while his father says, "I'm not trying to get my son high. I'm trying to cure my son's seizures." To find out how the treatment works for Jayden and how Theresa uses medicinal cannabis to treat Ronnie, viewers are invited to tune into “Weed Wars” tomorrow night at 10 pm on the Discovery Channel.

According to the Dravet Syndrome Foundation (DSF), Dravet syndrome, or Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy (SMEI), is a rare and catastrophic form of intractable epilepsy that begins in infancy. Children with Dravet syndrome do not outgrow this condition, and it affects every aspect of their daily lives.

Initial seizures are most often prolonged events, and in the second year of life other seizure types begin to emerge. Development remains on-track initially, with plateaus and a progressive decline typically beginning in the second year of life.

Individuals with Dravet syndrome face a higher incidence of SUDEP (sudden unexplained death in epilepsy) and have associated conditions, which also need to be properly treated and managed.

Unless a cure or better treatments for Dravet syndrome is found, says DSF, individuals with this disorder face a diminished quality of life. Current treatment options are extremely limited, and the prognosis for these children is poor. The constant care and supervision of an individual with such highly specialized needs is emotionally and financially draining on the family members who care for these individuals.

Discovery has announced that it will rebroadcast Episode 1, “World's Largest Medical Marijuana Dispensary,” on Thursday both before and after the premiere of Episode 2, “Federal Crackdown.” Episode 2 will be rebroadcast that same night at midnight.

“Weed Wars” focuses on Oakland's Harborside Health Center—which has set the gold standard for medicinal cannabis dispensaries in the nation—and the leadership behind Harborside: activist, founder and Executive Director Steve DeAngelo. DeAngelo's lifelong mission has been to bring the truth about the cannabis plant to the American public.

The show follows the DeAngelo family and Harborside's staff as they fearlessly wrestle with the complex issues they face every day. The series accurately captures the real-life drama and high stakes of the California-voter-approved business as federal agencies make increasingly harsher threats and IRS audits attempt to shut down the Oakland cannabis dispensary.

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In addition to focusing on Steve DeAngelo, his family and the staff, “Weed Wars” follows the journey of the plant itself from seed germination to harvesting. Audiences will meet the growers and “patient farmers” whose job it is to provide the “medicine” that will be eventually purchased and used by thousands of clients, many of whom feel their lives have been forever changed by the plant.

About Harborside Health Center:
Founded by national cannabis leader Steve DeAngelo in 2005, Harborside Health Center is the not-for-profit model medical cannabis dispensary in the country. The Oakland medical cannabis collective offers its 94,000 registered patients free holistic health services, lab-tested medicine and education.

“Out of the shadows and in to the light” epitomizes DeAngelo's mission to enlighten the public on the many medicinal and therapeutic benefits of the plant. DeAngelo is recognized as a national leader and strategist of the cannabis reform movement. He speaks and writes widely on the subject. Harborside and DeAngelo are featured on “Weed Wars,” now airing on The Discovery Channel.

For more information about Harborside Health Center, call (510) 533-0146 or visit harborsidehealthcenter.com.

For more information about “Weed Wars” or the information in this release, contact Gaynell Rogers at (415) 298-1114 or Linda Stokely at (707) 981-4407.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb-weed-wars-/-discovery-channel-/prweb9025066.htm

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