Grassroots Medical Change: How Parents Seeking Medical Cannabis for Pediatric Seizures Impact Medical Paradigms, Expertise, And Community

Abstract: The study examines how families seeking medical cannabis for children with treatment-resistant epilepsy drive transformative change in medical paradigms and healthcare systems. Through interviews with nine parents, researchers identified how these families' experiences challenge conventional treatment approaches while demonstrating cannabis's efficacy in reducing seizures and improving quality of life. Our research reveals a consistent pattern: parents transition from desperate treatment-seekers to knowledgeable advocates as they navigate complex medical, legal, and regulatory barriers. Many families relocate as "medical refugees," sacrificing careers and support networks to access treatment. The findings highlight three dominant themes: the stark contrast between conventional treatments and cannabis efficacy, parents' evolution into system navigators and advocates, and the formation of supportive medical cannabis communities that facilitate knowledge sharing and collective action. These interconnected themes illustrate how grassroots patient advocacy can reshape medical practice and public policy when established systems prove inadequate.