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Medical marijuana

(MLive.com File Photo)

LANSING, MI -- Jenny Allen, whose 6-year-old son was diagnosed with autism several years ago, has tried giving him "mind-bending" medications, signed him up for behavior therapy and changed his diet. But his problems, including self-destructive behavior and biting, continue.

Now the 32-year-old Lansing mom wants to try giving him part of a brownie -- a pot brownie -- but was brought to tears Tuesday when the Michigan Medical Marihuana Review Panel rejected a petition that would have given her the legal means to do so.

The panel, in a 7-2 vote, gave a final recommendation against adding autism to a list of debilitating conditions suitable for treatment under Michigan's voter-approved medical marijuana law.

"I'm incredibly disappointed," Allen told MLive after the hearing, going on to question whether all panelists had thoroughly researched the topic. "I'm pretty shocked, actually, that nobody even brought up what the base condition is. It's rather appalling."

The reality, according to several panel members appointed by the state, is that there is not much quality, peer-reviewed research exploring marijuana as a treatment for autism -- a sensory disorder with a wide range of effects.

That dearth, according to panelist David Crocker, is partly due to the fact that the federal government continues to list marijuana as a Schedule 1 controlled substance and does not fund extensive research into its use as medicine.

Crocker, a Kalamazoo doctor who certifies medical marijuana patients as president of Michigan Holistic Health, was one of two panelists who recommended adding autism to the law, noting that he has helped treat a small number of autistic children with other qualifying conditions and seen promising results.

"They feel there's less anxiety, they're less overwhelmed in situations and tend to go on tilt less," he said. "I have seen some positive impact on families with autistic children, but there's not much out there to go by on research."

Panelist David Brogren of Bloomfield Hills, a non-physician panelist who serves as president of Cannabis Patients United, pointed to other anecdotal evidence: A California mom who has made national news as an advocate for medical marijuana, which she says has helped her severely autistic child.

But several other panel members said they were concerned about adding a condition to the law that could result in more medical marijuana certifications for minors, and members debated whether administrative rules would allow them to only recommend use by autistic adults, a course of action they decided against.

"I think brain development continues to age 21 and beyond, so it would be difficult to decide what age to (allow) use," said panelist Steven Roskos, M.D., an associate professor at Michigan State University.

Michigan law makes it harder for kids to get a medical marijuana card -- they must be approved by two doctors rather than one -- and according to a report from May of last year, only 44 minors had been certified since voters approved the law in 2008.

Panelist Jeanne Lewandowski, director of palliative medicine at St. John Hospital and Medical Center, said she did not want to see those numbers rise and suggested that some autistic patients may qualify for treatment under a different portion of the medical marijuana law if they suffer from other conditions, such as "wasting syndrome."

"The vast majority of people who are diagnosed with autism are children, and I do not think we know enough about the effects of autism long-term nor substances -- of which marijuana may be one of many -- and what their effects are on the developing brain, neurological system and social structure."

In a series of separate votes, the panel gave a preliminary recommendation to add post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of debilitating conditions that could allow a patient to obtain a medical marijuana card. But they voted against adding autism, asthma and insomnia.

The PTSD and insomnia recommendations were preliminary, meaning the panel will vote again after a public hearing. But the asthma and autism votes were considered final because a previous iteration of the panel had already considered the petitions and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs had organized public hearings. LARA Director Steve Arwood will make the final determination on both petitions.

Medical marijuana advocates have criticized the state for its handling of the review panel, which was intended under the 2008 law and mandated by administrative rules in 2009. The panel did not meet for the first time until 2012, and LARA dissolved the committee in April because it had failed to properly appoint member.

LARA re-appointed the panel in June, and Tuesday was the first meeting of the new-look group, which some critics feel may still be operating in violation of state rules.

Some members felt the panel should not have taken a final vote on citizen petitions seeking to add autism and asthma because the original panel took the preliminary vote that led to a public hearing. LARA had denied a final recommendation on PTSD and had the new panel restart the consideration process.

"I didn't feel it was appropriate," said Brogren. "They disbanded the original panel because it was put together in error. I don't believe the errors were malicious or anything like that -- it wasn't a conspiracy, they just made a mistake -- but I think what they should do was go back to square one on all (the petitions). That would be the most fair thing."

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter.