Family Anxiously Awaits Medical Marijuana For Daughter's Rare Disease

An Oklahoma City family is anxiously awaiting guidelines on medical marijuana.

The McLaughlin’s have four living children. Their daughter Lucy has a rare disease called NKH, the same disease her older sister died from.

Each hour, Lucy's parents feed her through an opening in her stomach and inject her with one of several intense drugs.

“Those have terrible side effects. We're talking making her knocked out and incoherent, fussy, inability to just be part of our family really and take part in life,” Ryan McLaughlin, Lucy’s mom said.

Lucy’s regimen consists of over a dozen prescriptions including, morphine, methadone and seizure medication.

The drugs, along with her diagnosis, keep Lucy living the lifestyle of an infant, despite being nearly seven-years-old.

After the passage of State Question 788, McLaughlin says her family now has new possibilities.

She’s hoping to add a medical marijuana prescription to Lucy’s regimen will eliminate several other drugs she relies upon.

“We're just so proud of Oklahoma for voting out of its comfort zone and voting for families like ours,” McLaughlin said.

The Oklahoma Health Department will meet Tuesday to take the next step in establishing guidelines for medical marijuana.

As they await the rules for medical marijuana, each day is a countdown to a new possibility for the McLaughlin’s.

“I think it's a huge open door. It's very exciting because it feels like it can be a whole new life for not just our family but for many that we love,” McLaughlin said.