Access to drug comes at high price

Jade Guest's life has changed since she has been able to access medical marijuana in Colorado to treat her severe epilepsy, but it meant her family just spent their first Christmas separated.

The Guest family would love nothing more than to be back in Whangarei celebrating the festive season together.

But they have just spent their first Christmas thousands of miles apart, so seven-year-old Jade Guest can access medical marijuana to treat the severe epilepsy which saw her seizing up to 40 times a day.

Since moving to Colorado in July with her mother Jessika and eight-year-old brother Ethan, Jade's seizures have dropped to five or fewer, from 30 seconds to three seconds.

The price has been separation from her father Brendan, who remains living in Whangarei and working as a truck-driver, and who is spending the festive season alone.

"Our family has never been apart on Christmas - it's a very emotional time," Mrs Guest told the Northern Advocate.

"We sent a big Christmas package to him, hoping it will ease the pain of missing us on Christmas Day. Ethan says all he wants for Christmas is his dad to move here."

But the Guests have no idea if or when that might be. "We are living in the present moment as of now, unsure of what will happen," she said.

"Our dream of coming back to New Zealand is in the hands of the government. Eventually Brendan will need to come to Colorado if marijuana does not become legal there."

Mrs Guest would love for New Zealand government to join the New South Wales government, who on December 21 announced three trials for medical cannabis - for children with severe epilepsy, adults with terminal illness and people with nausea induced by chemotherapy.

"We would be ecstatic to know that New Zealand has hopped on board with the way the rest of the world is going in the sense of ending prohibition on marijuana.

"The ideal situation for our family would be to see the New Zealand government allow safe access to medical marijuana, so that we could come back and continue our lives in Northland, get Jade back in her wonderful special school in Whangarei, and Ethan back in Matarau School with his friends."

The Guests have a Facebook page called 'Jade's Cannabis Journey' dedicated to educating people about medical marijuana.

"Jade's story has made an impression on people all over the world [and] there are many people changing their views on medicinal marijuana now that they are seeing the wonderful effects it is having on children who struggle each day with epilepsy. It's exciting to be a part of ... but it comes at a big price, having our family separated," Mrs Guest said.