12-Year-Old With Epilepsy Is Suing Jeff Sessions Over Medical Marijuana

A 12-year-old Texas girl is suing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Department of Justice, and the Drug Enforcement Agency in hopes of making medical marijuana legal nationwide, regardless of state law. Alex Bortell’s family moved to Colorado after discovering that cannabis oil treated her epilepsy better than other medicines. For the last two-and-a-half years, she has taken a drop of liquid THC both in the morning and at night and has not suffered a single seizure. The only problem: She can’t go home.

Both the state of Texas and the federal government oppose legalized marijuana, so should Alex and her family return to their home state, they could face issues with the law if they continue to use the THC. “I would like to be able to visit my grandparents without risking being taken to a foster home,” Alex told local Fox affiliate KDVR. She’d also like to go to college in Texas when she is older. In absence of medical marijuana, however, her doctors have recommended a risky brain surgery to help stem the seizures. You can understand why they’re staying in the Centennial State.

The lawsuit was filed in July and includes another minor, a veteran, and former San Francisco 49ers defensive end Marvin Washington. The official lawsuit document, which was filed in the Southern District of New York, states: “This lawsuit stands to benefit tens of millions of Americans who require, but are unable to safely obtain, Cannabis for the treatment of their illnesses, diseases, and medical conditions.”