Cannabis oil just tea-riffic
A huge difference in Ayvia, 11
The life of a Hamilton schoolgirl has been transformed since she started taking ‘medicinal cannabis oil’ in tea.
That is the claim from the family of P7 pupil Ayvia Parkinson, who has a condition called Episodic Ataxia Type 2.
It causes severe migraines, vertigo, global development delays and dysbraxia and the youngster has battled through it all since birth.
However, after speaking to a consultant, the 11-year-old’s family decided to start her on CBD evening tea – a substance made up of cannabinoids extracted from the cannabis plant.
Ayvia’s mum, Paula Parkinson, said: “With Ayvia’s conditions it was usually a struggle in the morning for school and work, as she didn’t listen to a thing she was told.
“After trying this CBD tea with her, I noticed a big difference. Everything she was doing in the morning was a lot calmer and we could get out of the house at a suitable time in the morning.
“Her teachers noticed a big difference in her learning, and she was more aware of what she had to do with school work.
“Because of her global development delays, everything Ayvia did was always a struggle – from the start to when she went to bed. Now, everything she is asked, she does it, with no problem at all.”
Sales of medicinal cannabis oil have doubled over the past year. And demand for the supplement has surged even faster after health food chain Holland & Barrett became the first high street store to stock it around a month ago.
However, the substance that Ayvia uses comes from Hope CBD, who are based in Hamilton Accies’ football stadium.
And the youngster is not the only person in her family to take it, as her grandmother Patricia Dalton has been using CBD for over a year.
Patricia was in a car crash over five years ago, which left her housebound and in serious pain.
The 54-year-old was taking eight different types of medication four times a day, and had to rely on family members to help her go about her day-to-day life.
Patricia said: “I was on amitriptyline, diazepam and other medications and I just couldn’t function properly.
“I used a walking aid, was on all that medication and I had no quality of life at all.”
Patricia then came across Hope CBD, a company based in the Superseal Stadium that sells CBD products.
She said: “I came to an open day here last year at the stadium, and learned all about Hope CBD and the work they do.
“They sell their product as a food supplement so are not medical experts but advised that I do my own research and if I thought CBD was for me, to come back. I thought ‘What have I got to lose?’”
Patricia said she gave it a go and right away felt a difference.
She added: “The next day, I felt like a new person. The pain was eased and I could walk without my aid.
“Using the CBD gave me my independence back, and helped build my confidence up. I’ve been using it for around a year now and I will never look back – and it is amazing that it is helping Ayvia too. She is like a new person, she is more alert and more engaging with others.”
Paula said: “I was a bit hesitant at first but my mother came up with the research, and after speaking to Ayvia’s consultant we thought we could give it a go as she’s been taking medication most of her early years and I wanted to try something else as I wanted her off any medication.
“Since then we have never looked back. It’s the newfound confidence she has as well, where before she would be the child that would never participate with things other children would do.”
Patricia says that people are always asking her how she knows for a fact that it is the CBD which has made her better.
She said: “One time, Craig and the team here at Hope CBD had a shortage in stock and I had to go without it for a few weeks, and I was back to square one.’’