Girl whose family fought for medical marijuana has died

Article written by Joseph Spector, Westchester, NY – July 21,2014

Anna Conte, a nine-year-old Buffalo area girl who suffered from a rare seizure disorder, died late last week.

Conte’s mother, Wendy, of Orchard Park, Erie County, regularly appeared at the Capitol this year to push for the legalization of medical marijuana in New York. Here’s some video of Wendy at the Capitol in January.

Anna Conte died Thursday due to complications from a seizure she suffered more than a week ago, WGRZ reported Friday.

She suffered from Dravet syndrome, and her mother said they were considering moving to Colorado to get a liquid strain of marijuana that could help with the seizures.

New York passed a medical marijuana law last month that will make the drug available on a limited basis and not in smokeable form. It won’t be on the market for 18 months.

Anna’s funeral is slated for Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at Ebenezer United Church of Christ in West Seneca, WGRZ said, and a fund through M&T Bank has been set up in her honor.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Anna Conte,” Sen. Mark Grisanti, R-Buffalo, said in a news release. “She was a courageous little girl, who suffered as no child ever should. Her courage, and the courage of her family, directly led to my sponsorship of legalized medical marijuana in New York.”

  See the Video

 

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