Jeffrey's Journey: Healing a Child's Violent Rages

From birth, it was clear that Jeffrey was not a typical child. By age three he exhibited such severe behavioral problems he was considered a danger to other children. No daycare would take him, and doctors were more stymied than helpful about his extreme aggressiveness and compulsiveness. Threatened with institutionalization for her six-year-old son, Debbie Jeffries resorted to an unusual therapy: marijuana. A conservative Christian, she had no experience with the drug, but extensive research convinced her this might be her last hope. This book powerfully describes the desperate journey of a family toward a semblance of normalcy, including the court battle defending Jeffrey's right to this unconventional treatment, the family's exposure on 48 Hours, and the threat to Jeffrey's ongoing care by federal raids on California's medical marijuana dispensaries. The book also features a special resource section, plus commentary by Michael Alcalay, the pediatrician who recommended and supervised Jeffrey's marijuana therapy; Valerie Corral, who helped design his marijuana regimen; and ethicist Peter S. Clark, Ph.D.