Michigan allows medical marijuana for seizure disorders. Yet, these parents still skirt state law and a court ruling that say Michigan patients must smoke their medical marijuana.

Some parents of children with autism also have been fighting to change state law to allow using medical marijuana to treat the disorder. Some say they’re looking for treatments to take the place of prescription drugs that can have strong side effects.

Across the state, a small but growing cohort of parents of children with severe, debilitating conditions feel hamstrung by Michigan’s laws, regulations and court rulings that govern the pediatric use of medical marijuana.

“A lot of these kids are fighting for their lives,” said Robin Schneider, legislative liaison for the National Patients Rights Association, a statewide non-profit group with an office in Grosse Pointe.