L.D. 1739, “An Act To Amend the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act,” was returned to the Legislature’s Committee on Health and Human Services on Feb. 11, after parents and patients expressed concern with the language about “kief” as well as other concerns.

I know our legislators in Maine’s House and Senate have no ill intent toward our children, but they are being misled. This committee has completed its review. Committee members report that the proposal now references Maine’s Criminal Code in regard to “hashish,” and now directly prohibits the use of hashish. By the referenced Maine Criminal Law Code, hashish is defined to include marijuana extracts. With the change of words from “kief” to “hashish,” and this reference to Maine’s Criminal Code, the law effectively bans my daughter’s medication.

My daughter’s doctor should be allowed to prescribe the best way to treat her epilepsy with this so-far miraculous medication. Marijuana extracts have reduced her grand mal seizures from dozens a day to one, sometimes none. I implore our legislators, and I beg our Maine residents to contact their legislators to not pass any version of L.D. 1739 that restricts any part or derivative of the cannabis plant, including but not limited to hash, hashish, extract, oil, butter, honey, kief, resin, flower, leaf, residue, shake. A rose by any other name is still a rose.

People can watch a video clip of my daughter having an intense grand mal seizure at www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwWvi1a85jU. When “cannabis 911 oil” is rubbed into her gum line, it stops a seizure faster than any other medication ever has.

It takes the whole plant to save my child. I know our legislators do not intend harm to our children. I implore them to not let my daughter die.

Susan W. MeehanMonmouth