DELTONA, Fla. – One day before Florida voters head to the polls and decide whether to approve medical marijuana a company will make its first delivery to a terminally ill 15-year-old boy.
Cruz is considered terminal after doctors were unable to stop the spread of his cancer.
The teen is on a 24-hour morphine drip, and hopes the cannabis allows him to take less of the strong narcotic.
Jacqueline Cuevas said over the past two years, she's been inspired by her son's strength to keep fighting.
"I gave birth to my hero. I really did," said Cuevas. "He's a strong kid. He's been one of the strongest kids I've ever known."
Cruz said his family researched medical marijuana after doctors told them there was nothing else they could do.
"I need my body to be good you know. I'm a kid. I'm gonna only get older you know," said Cruz. "They don't understand how I feel, what I'm going through. I couldn't be depressed, I couldn't be sad."
Cruz's doctor, Joseph Rosado said that with the mandatory waiting period, he warned the family how long it would take for the cannabis, when time was of the essence.
"Day one when his mom brought him to the office, I discouraged him. I'll be honest,” Rosado said. “I discouraged them and I said this is going to be tough, you know it's 90 days. I'm not going to give you anything today."
Rosado said he has recommended medical cannabis for seven patients. The first patient he recommended cannabis to has seen their tumor shrink since starting treatment, he said.
Rosado said for Cruz, it should not only reduce the amount of medication he takes, but also help with nausea, anxiety and sleeping.
Rosado also said that not all of his terminally ill patients have made it through the waiting period.
"I can say that Juju, as we lovingly call him, is one of the lucky ones. He made it the 90 days. I have four that haven't," said Rosado.
Rosado supports Amendment 2, which would legalize medical marijuana in Florida.
Opponents of Amendment 2 argue it would increase the amount of drug use, and could make the drug easily accessible to children.
For a person to receive this strength of THC oil, a doctor needs to have determine the patient is terminally ill and only has a year to live, under current Florida law.
[Medical marijuana: Here's what you should know before you vote]
The Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act passed in June 2014 and allows patients registered under the compassionate use registry to use low-THC cannabis.
Central Florida teen with terminal cancer receives first medical THC cannabis treatment, will allow him to take less morphine. @news6wkmg pic.twitter.com/hoYwymYShc
— Troy Campbell (@TroyLeeCampbell) November 7, 2016
On Nov. 8, Florida voters will decide with Constitutional Amendment 2 to expand the definition of illnesses that qualify for medical marijuana treatment to include cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, PTSD, ALS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.
Of Florida’s 67 counties, medical marijuana is available at only six dispensaries spread across Alachua, Gadsden, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and Orange counties.