The Whangarei-based Guest family had to be torn apart in order to access the drug for Jade, with Mrs Guest, Jade and her 8-year-old brother Ethan heading to Colorado in July. Mrs Guest's husband, and the children's father, Brendan Guest remains in Whangarei working as a truck driver.
"It is very hard on him with us gone, especially missing out on these great changes with Jade," Mrs Guest said.
Jade's diagnoses include hypotonia (a state of low muscle tone), global developmental delay and epilepsy, which used to leave her having seizures up to 40 times a day.
Since August, when she qualified for a US medical card allowing her access to cannabis medicine, Jade has been on skin patches containing cannabinoids and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid - a form of non-activated THC which means the cannabis does not have high-inducing properties.
Jade is also allowed to have six marijuana plants for her medical use.
Mrs Guest has noticed a huge change in Jade, including better seizure control, better cognitive function - including fine motor skills - and better digestion.
"Now she is holding things with two hands, sitting up instead of slouching in her wheelchair, reaching out when she wants to be picked up - things she didn't do before. She used to sleep a lot because of the pharmaceutical drugs.
"Her cognitive abilities have improved - [she's] smiling more, giggling now, holding on to me when I carry her, [making] new sounds, more happy and aware of her surroundings and playing with toys she never cared for before.
"My life has improved a lot now I get to see miraculous improvements in Jade instead of watching her struggle to learn and be happy because of the drugs she was on. I know she's happy and enjoying life and that makes me very happy."
But Mrs Guest is still missing something major in her life - her husband.
"Eventually he will come here unless laws change in New Zealand.
"Because of federal laws, we are not allowed to take cannabis out of the state.
"There are thousands of families who have moved here for this treatment, many splitting their families to legally access cannabis."
In August a spokesman for Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne did not discount the idea of trialling medical marijuana in New Zealand.
"It's up to the manufacturer to seek government approval for a particular product," the spokesman said.
