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 this patient -if it were legal to do so. Other patients in the Denver area smoke
 marijuana for the same purpose. This patient's doctor, and nurses with whom he
 comes -in contact, understand that cancer _fatients smoke marijuana to reduce or
 control emesis. They accept it.
 o
 _30. In late 1980 a three year o)d boy was brought by his parents .to a
 J
 hospital in Spokane, Washington, The child was diagnosed as Raving cancer.
 Surgery was performed. Chemotherapy was begun_ The child became extremely
 nauseated and vomited for days after each chemotherapy treatment. He could not
 eat regularly. He lost strength. He lost weight. His body's ability to ward
 off common _nfectioas, other life-threatening _nfectioes, significantly decreased.
 Chemotherapy's after_effects caused the child great suffering° They caused his
 watching parents great suffering. Several standard, available anti-emetic agents
 _'ere tried by the child's doctors. None of them succeeded in controlling his
 nausea or vomiting. Learning of the existence of research studies with THC or
 marijuana the parents asked the child's doctor to arrange for their son to be
 the subject of such a study so that he might have access to marijuana. The doctor
 refused, citing the volume of paperwork and record_keeping (_etail required in
 such programs and his lack of administrative personnel to h,_ndle it.
 31. The child's mother read an article about marijuana smoking helping
 :hemotherapy patients. She obtained some marijuana from friends. She baked
 ookies for her child with marijuana in them. She made tea for him with
 arijuana in it. When the child ate these cookies or drank this tea in
 onaectioa _ith his chemotherapy, he did not vomit. His strength returned. He
 _:gained lost weight. His spirits revived. The parents told the doctors and
 _rses at the hospital of their .giving marijuana to their child. None objected.
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