Long Island group homes are now allowed to dispense medical marijuana to their residents.

Jim Mulvaney says he lives in fear every day, worried whether his son Danny, who has autism, will suffer another violent seizure.

"Seizures are a horrifying thing," he says. "It's almost like an earthquake -- you don't know it's coming."

But Mulvaney says he has hope that Danny's violent seizures can be controlled with the use of medical marijuana. A study recently released by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that medical marijuana may reduce nausea and seizures in young patients and adolescents. Mulvaney's doctors agreed and prescribed medical marijuana for Danny.

But there was another problem for the family. Group homes, such as where Danny lives, were not allowed to dispense medical marijuana to residents.

"I went to Assemblywoman Missy Miller, who is an advocate for medical marijuana, and she pushed and pushed and finally the regulations changed Oct. 5," Mulvaney says.

Danny's previous prescription medication to control severe seizures was no longer working, his father says, adding that it can cause liver damage over time.

Mulvaney says he believes medical marijuana will help Danny continue to live a full life that includes ice hockey every Sunday and surfing in the summer.