In April, we brought you the story of Tracie Thomas and her son Caleb who were seeking options to help her son become seizure free. Tracie spent a decade exhausting every option in her fight to find help for Caleb. Yet, it wasn’t until she stumbled upon a story about the positive impact cannabis had on epilepsy that she finally found a glimmer of hope. The only problem - it wasn’t legal in Virginia.

Since we first published her story, Virginia has now made it legal to possess small quantities of recreational cannabis. Virginia is one of 18 states, and the first in the South, to legalize cannabis. According to the new rules, adults 21 and older are allowed to have up to an ounce of cannabis.

We wondered how this affected those using cannabis for medical purposes. Our team recently checked in with Tracie and Caleb to see how they are doing.

WHRO: Since sharing Caleb's story with us what has been the reaction you've received from people who have seen it?

TRACIE: The response to Caleb's story was positive. I received messages saying they learned a lot from the story about the potential medical benefits.

WHRO: You mentioned in the video that your next goal was to get Caleb a medical marijuana card in Virginia. Have you been able to obtain a medical marijuana card for Caleb?

TRACIE: I have not obtained a medical card yet.

WHRO: The use of cannabis was legalized in Virginia on July 1, has this had any effect on how you approach the treatment of Caleb's seizures?

TRACIE: This hasn’t had any affect on Caleb because you have to be 21, and Caleb is only 19. I’m very thankful that we’ll have other options in a couple years. I do believe whole plant could offer additional benefits and seizure control for Caleb.

If you haven't seen Caleb's story, watch it below.

The Cannabis Question Outreach Toolkit and Community Events

Curious about cannabis? Help those in your community learn more by hosting an event!

In September, WHRO Public Media hosted a screening of The Cannabis Question. This new documentary from NOVA investigates the latest scientific evidence for its potential benefits and risks, and how criminalization has disproportionately harmed communities of color.

The Cannabis Question Community Outreach Toolkit contains resources for community organizations to engage more deeply with the film and the issues it addresses through screenings and community discussions. These events can engage local scientists, healthcare workers, patients, public officials, and others in conversations that explore the science of cannabis, the risks and benefits of its use, and the impacts of criminalization of cannabis. The toolkit contains a background essay, strategies for planning different formats of events, discussion questions, a social media guide, and more.

Interested in hosting an event? Submit this event registration form.