A loving father is so devoted to the health of his two daughters that he is risking a jail sentence after juicing cannabis in an effort to combat their debilitating Crohn’s disease.
New South Wales father Stephen Taylor had turned to a number of doctors pleading for them to help him and his family, but none would step up ABC News reported.
To gain a prescription for medical marijuana in Australia a patient must first find a doctor that is either an ‘authorised prescriber’ or one that would be willing to submit the application to the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
A loving father is so devoted to the health of his two daughters that he is risking a jail sentence after juicing cannabis in an effort to combat their debilitating Crohn’s disease
Unfortunately Mr Taylor was never able to find such a doctor.
So Mr Taylor stepped up and took drastic measures to help his beloved daughters, one of whom had already dropped to 32kg, and he started to cultivate his own cannabis.
Mr Taylor stepped up and took drastic measures to help his beloved daughters, one of whom had already dropped to 32kg, and he started to cultivate his own cannabis
‘We wanted to start using the leaves for juicing,’ he said.
Mr Taylor said it was only a matter of weeks before he could see a visible turnaround in his daughters, saying he truly believed his daughter Morgan Taylor, 21, went into remission.
‘She was starting to put on weight, she was starting to eat healthy food and we said ‘fantastic’,’ he said.
Mr Taylor set up a growing operation in his back yard and began the process of cultivating and then juicing cannabis.
However he was raided by police who confiscated all the cannabis he had grown and charged him with with cultivation and possession of cannabis.
Mr Taylor could face a number of years in jail and a large fine if he is found guilty of the charges.
One of his daughters, Morgan Taylor, spoke to ABC News about how using cannabis oil had positively impacted her quality of life right away.
She said that it was within one month that she was no longer bed ridden, was able to start eating healthy and even exercising.
‘I gained weight, I got up to 50 kilos, I was able to work,’ she said.
Medical marijuana was made legal in Australia 18 months ago after the Narcotics Amendment Bill 2016 was passed and is still undergoing clinical trials in every state
Medical marijuana was made legal in Australia 18 months ago after the Narcotics Amendment Bill 2016 was passed.
However the red tape and application process required to gain permission for its use has proven a big hurdle for many.
Just 519 patients have been approved for the treatment.
However some medical professionals have said that up to 100,000 Australians are in need of the medical marijuana, but at this stage they are forced to go through illegal channels to get it.
Just 519 patients have been approved for the treatment, however some medical professionals have said that up to 100,000 Australians are in need of the medical marijuana
Mr Taylor turned to illegal cultivation of cannabis because he felt he had no other choice.
His daughters were, and still are, in and out of hospital and dropping to dangerously low weights which constantly impacts their quality of life.
‘The government have to do something about this, it’s ridiculous,’ he said.
He said all they had to do was listen and they would hear that parents and average people are crying out for medical marijuana.
The government has claimed it wants to eliminate the red tape and make it easier for patients to gain access however the results aren’t reflecting that.
Many doctors can’t reach a consensus on medical marijuana and whether it would help their patients and as a result are hesitant to submit applications
Another problem is that many doctors can’t reach a consensus on medical marijuana and whether it would help their patients and as a result are hesitant to submit applications.
Clinical trials are still underway across all Australian states, New South Wales is currently testing its effects on terminal cancer and paediatric epilepsy.
A medical marijuana educational seminar is being held in Sydney on March 14 at the University of Sydney from 6.30pm.
Crohn’s disease is a life long chronic disease which causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, or gut, and was first discovered in 1932 by Dr Burrill B. Crohn whom the disease is named after.
Symptoms vary greatly form patient to patient, including unintended weight loss and loss of appetite which both Taylor sisters were suffering, among others.
The inflammation can also stop the body from being able to process and adsorb nutrients correctly, causing slow and stunted growth.