ATLANTA -- Erin and Wes Cleveland have waited months for this moment -- the moment they can legally give medical marijuana to their 2-year-old daughter Lainey.
11Alive has followed the Cleveland family's story from start to finish. Lainey's parents have fought hard to acquire cannabis oil and are finally able to give her the first dose.
Erin Cleveland said she and her husband wanted the medical marijuana "for (Lainey's) little brain to take a break so she can actually start doing things, because it was developing, and at 3 and a half months, everything stopped."
That's when Lainey's seizures took over. Her parents hope cannabis oil can provide "just a bit of relief for her to have something that'll actually help her," Wes Cleveland said.
While it is now legal to use medical marijuana in Georgia, it is still illegal to grow it. The Clevelands have a source, as they began the process long ago. Those who are new to cannabis oil are struggling to find it.
"If you go to California or Colorado and bring it back, you're take a huge risk, because you're passing so many places that it's not legal," Erin Cleveland said.
The fight to grow medical marijuana continues at the Georgia State Capitol, where lawmakers are working on a cultivation bill.
Back at the Cleveland house, Erin and Wes are looking forward to better days, starting with a more alert little girl whose personality is starting to show. Lainey is also talking more and, while she still has seizures, her parents believe she is slowing coming back.
Lainey will soon have some intense therapy sessions, which will be a great opportunity for her doctors and therapists to see how the cannabis oil is working.
