In 2015, medical marijuana has been legalized in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Opponents have always argued that legalizing medical marijuana would encourage casual pot use among teenagers -- which might have a negative impact on brain development. But a study released this week found that the new laws have not led to increased marijuana use by adolescents.

In fact, according to Mic.com, “Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York found that eighth-graders in states where medical marijuana laws were passed actually became significantly less likely to smoke pot. The study offers remarkable new evidence suggesting a state's decision to recognize the drug as a legitimate treatment for illness altered ‘adolescent attitudes towards the acceptability and riskiness of marijuana use.’”

At the same time, sick teenagers and kids from across the country (and their parents) have been speaking out about the positive impact medical marijuana has had on their lives. Here are seven of their stories:

"I'd rather be illegally alive than legally dead." - 15-year-old Coltyn Turner

Fifteen-year-old Coltyn Turner suffers from Crohn’s disease. “I was just on every pharmaceutical there was out there until I wound up in a wheelchair,” he told CBS Denver. His family moved from the Midwest to Colorado in 2014 to try cannabis oil as a last resort. Now, thanks to four doses of cannabis oil every day, he’s doing much, much better, and his family is fighting to make medical marijuana available to more sick teens.

“I think that it should be legal in Texas because every child should live a normal life.” - 9-year-old Alexis Bortell

Alexis Bortell is epileptic, and she used to suffer from multiple seizures a day. According to Inquisitr, her family fought long and hard to legalize medical marijuana in Texas, but after an especially terrible seizure, the family moved to Colorado to get her the treatment. On the Team Alexis Facebook page, the family wrote, “Since the first dose, she has not had a single symptom or seizure and we’re on day 22 now.” Alexis wants to move back to Texas, so she and her family continue to fight for legalization of medical marijuana in their home state.

“The only reason that he can go to school and enjoy school is because of this medicine.” - Stacey Linn, mom of 14-year-old Jack Splitt

Thanks to Jack Splitt, Colorado is now the first state in the U.S. that allows medical marijuana (in the form of patches, pills, oils, or injections) in schools. Jack has cerebral palsy and suffers from severe seizures and muscle spasms. After the school confiscated his cannabis oil, his mom fought to change the law.

"I didn't hear her laugh for six months. I didn't hear her voice at all, just her crying. ...I don't take it for granted. Every day is a blessing." - Paige Figi, mom of 8-year-old Charlotte Figi

According to RYOT, due to a rare and severe form of epilepsy, when Charlotte Figi was five years old, she “was experiencing seizures every 30 minutes. The family had tried every drug and had failed to see results with any of them. At five years old, Charlotte was confined to a wheelchair and could not speak or engage with the outside world. She was put on a do-not-resuscitate order.” As a last resort, the family tried medical marijuana -- and the seizures came to an almost complete stop. Charlotte has become the poster-child for getting kids who need it access to certain types of medical marijuana.

“You're giving your 16-year-old child marijuana, but it's medicine. It's the best medicine that's ever worked.” - Lora Barbour, mom of 16-year-old Genny Barbour

Genny Barbour is autistic and epileptic, and she often has multiple seizures a day. According to the Courier-Post, after numerous pharmaceuticals failed to help, she and her family, who live in New Jersey, turned to medical marijuana, which drastically decreased the number of seizures she was having. Genny’s school has refused to administer her mid-day dose (in liquid form), which she needs to prevent her from having seizures while at school, so the family decided to take it to court.

"Life is less stressful and more enjoyable because I'm seeing my little boy come back. I'm watching him grow and develop rather than regress." - Lisa Smith, mom of 5-year-old Noah Smith

Noah Smith suffers from both autism and epilepsy, and according to the Detroit Metro Times, before he started taking cannabis oil, he suffered from seizures daily. He also “pulled his hair and ran into walls; sometimes he would punch and kick his mother.” Medical marijuana has not only helped with his seizures, but also improved the symptoms of his autism, making him a much calmer, happier kid. His mom is so passionate about helping other children and parents in the same boat that she’s fought for Michigan to include autism as a qualifying condition under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.

"I feel a whole lot better. My speech is a whole lot clearer. I'm not having as many seizures." - 18-year-old Dixie Pace

Dixie Pace lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She suffers from severe epilepsy, and according to WBTW, she used to have more than 50 seizures a day. After she started taking cannabis oil, that number was dramatically reduced. Dixie’s mom April told WBTW, “Most days we average six to eight seizures a day. We've actually had 12 days this year with no seizures." The two attended a rally at the South Carolina Statehouse in May to ask lawmakers to allow medical marijuana to be grown and sold in the state (where taking it is already legal).