BOOK REVIEW: JEFFREY'S JOURNEY

http://www.laraynesplace.net/

Jeffrey's Journey: A Determined Mother's Battle For Medical
Marijuana For Her Son by Debbie and LaRayne Jeffries, 80 pages, L.P.
Chronicles, $9.95

"Jeffrey's Journey" is the very real and harrowing story of a young
boy named Jeffrey and his inner battle with severe emotional and
behavioral problems. Written by Debbie and LaRayne Jeffries - the
boy's mother and grandmother - Jeffrey's tale takes him from the
depths of prescription drug despair, to the high of successful
cannabis-based treatment.

Before Jeffrey even reached adolescence, he had been diagnosed with
multiple emotional and behavioral conditions: ADHD (Attention
Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder),
OCD(Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant
Disorder), IED (Intermittent Explosive Disorder), and Bi-Polar
Disorder...to name but a few. Along with these diagnoses came a
plethora of pharmaceutical treatments: from Adderall to Zoloft
and Zyprexa, Jeffrey was prescribed over a dozen anti-anxiety,
anti-depressant drugs; many of which have never even been tested
or approved for use by children. After seeing that most of these
either had no effect or worsened Jeffrey's condition, Debbie
began to explore the use of medicinal cannabis.

This was a rapid and significant transition for the Jeffries family,
who describe themselves as conservative Christians. Debbie admits
that when California's Proposition 215 (which led to the legalization
of medicinal cannabis in California) appeared on the state
ballot, she voted against it. However, after contacting WAMM
(Wo/Men Alliance for Medical Marijuana) and speaking with
founder/director Valerie Corral and speaking with an informed
physician, she decided to try this untested therapy. Debbie recounts
the morning of Jeffrey's introduction to marijuana therapy through
cannabis-laced muffins:

"Within 1/2 hour of ingesting the first piece of muffin, I had a new
child. We were driving to school, and as I merged into a new lane of
highway traffic, Jeff looked over at me and smiled, "Mommy, I feel
happy, not mad, and my head doesn't feel so noisy!""

This was the beginning of a successful treatment regimen that soon
led to Jeffrey being able to make friends and have an 8th birthday
party with other kids at the local Chuck E. Cheese's, something that
would have been previously unthinkable for the Jeffries.

Sadly, there have been some setbacks. Last year's federal bust of
the WAMM cannabis garden led to a break in Jeffrey's line of
medicine led to a decline of his emotional/behavioral state. This
was only restored once the Jeffries' were able to once again access
the particular strain that helped calm Jeffrey's mind and resultant
behavior.

"Jeffrey's Journey" is the tale of a family's sorrow and desperation,
and the hope that finally came from an unlikely source: cannabis.
Although therapeutic cannabis is by no means a cure-all, it has
been able to give the Jeffries happiness where there was once only
fear and frustration. As I finished Jeffrey's Journey, I had to
wonder how many more families might be struggling with similar
problems, and how many severely emotionally handicapped children
might benefit from the information in this brave book.