Alabaster, Alabama – Mary Ann Coleman is a 13-year-old school girl who has autism. She attends day school at Glenwood Autism & Behavioral Health Center. In a report that they recently sent home it states that Mary Ann tried to self harm, a total of 337 times.
Mary Anne’s father told Alabama.com that on a typical day she can attempt to harm herself up to 40 times, but that it has been as high as 800.
“She hits herself upside the ear. She pulls her hair out. She slams her head into the wall …. She has gone through my bay window. She had gone through two windows at school.”
Mr Coleman is now asking Alabama lawmakers to allow his daughter to try medical marijuana to see if this can help her.
On April 22, 2015, Sen. Bobby Singleton’s bill was given a favorable response by the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill, if passed, would allow the recipient, who would need to exhibit 25-specific conditions, to buy up to 10 ounces of medical marijuana a month.
However Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R- Vestavia Hills, had previously told Alabama.com that the bill “is bad legislation,” and that, “we don’t need that in Alabama.”
Ron Crumpton, wrote Singleton’s bill, and hopes to get the legislation onto the Senate floor. He has also started a petition, in which he is asking local residents to sign.
Source: on the Alabama.com website: Father of Alabama teen with autism wants medical marijuana opponents to reconsider