Medical Cannabis: A Life Changing Journey for Mother and Son

This week on Seizing Life® we look at medical cannabis as a treatment option for epilepsy from the perspective of a mother, an advocate, and an educator with a master’s degree in medical cannabis and therapeutics – and in this case, they are all the same person. Sarah O’Hanlon’s journey to find relief for her son Owen’s daily seizures first led her to Colorado, then to advocacy in her home state of Virginia, and finally to a recently created master’s program in medical cannabis at the University of Maryland.

Sarah’s son Owen was diagnosed with infantile spasms at 5 months old and has experienced seizures all his life. When they ran out of treatment options in their home state of Virginia, Sarah took the bold step of moving to Colorado where medical cannabis was legal, in hopes that it might bring some seizure relief for her son. The improvement in quality of life that Owen experienced with medical cannabis led Sarah to join an advocacy group in Virginia which successfully lobbied to pass a bill making CBD legal for epilepsy patients in the state. Sarah’s experience and inquisitiveness led her to pursue a master’s degree in medical cannabis and a new career educating and counseling patients, families, and physicians about the properties, possibilities, and realities of medical cannabis. Sarah shares her journey and the frustration, determination, and knowledge that sprang from a mother’s desperation to help her son. If you or a loved one are using medical cannabis, or if you’ve considered trying medical cannabis for epilepsy, we encourage you to watch or listen to this episode of Seizing Life ®.

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