RELIEF OUT OF REACH
Dying man’s plea for access to medicinal cannabis
A DYING man is begging for medicinal cannabis to be made readily available.
Peter Fielding, above, is dying of oesophageal and lung cancer and he says the “angel plant” is the only thing that eases his pain. While medicinal cannabis is legal, patients must obtain permission through a doctor to access it.
I’m a dying man and I plead with you to do something
Peter Fielding
OATLANDS identity Peter Fielding has made an emotional endof-life plea to Premier Peter Gutwein asking he make medicinal cannabis more readily available so others do not have to suffer unnecessarily.
In a video, the 75-year-old historian tells Mr Gutwein he is dying of oesophageal and lung cancer and medicinal cannabis has helped him live his last days in some comfort.
Mr Fielding said he had accepted death but wanted to do something so others have better access to a natural pain drug he calls an “angel plant”.
“We are growing this wonderful plant in Tasmania but locals cannot access the drug,” he said.
“Why can’t it be available in chemists alongside the narcotic pain relief medication.”
Mr Fielding was diagnosed in 2019 and says he has dealt with the fact that he was going to die.
He also wants to do something to make life better for other patients before he goes.
He says medicinal cannabis changed how he dealt with the effects of cancer.
“I did not want to be in a narcotic haze,’’ he said.
Mr Fielding says medicinal cannabis is now legal.
“But you try getting your hands on it,” he said.
There are just 19 patients listed with Tasmania’s Controlled Access Scheme.
But four times as many access medicinal cannabis from Therapeutic Goods Association-approved clinics on the mainland – separate from the Tasmanian Health Service.
Mr Fielding said he managed to get some medicinal cannabis through a friend.
Almost overnight he could eat again and his speech improved.
“Before medicinal cannabis my pain level was eight out of 10. After cannabis there were many days when I felt no pain at all.”
He said Tasmanian doctors just shrugged their shoulders when patients asked to access medicinal cannabis.
“What right does a doctor or a government have to tell me what I should put in my body?” Mr Fielding asked.
“This is a plea for people who will come behind me. Please Mr Gutwein, you showed great compassion for Tasmanians during the COVID-19 pandemic, please do the same for those in pain in the community.
“Make medicinal cannabis readily available from chemist shops. I’m a dying man and I plead with you to do something.”
A government spokesman said the government sent its deepest sympathies to Mr Fielding and his loved ones.
“The Controlled Access Scheme allows Tasmanians with a serious illness, which has not responded to conventional therapies, to access unproven medical cannabis products when prescribed by a suitably qualified relevant medial specialist,” he said.
“Last year the Therapeutic Goods Administration made changes to allow for … approved low dose CBD products to be supplied to adults over-the-counter by a pharmacist, without … a prescription.
“While there are currently no TGA-approved CBD products on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods that meet the Schedule 3 criteria, these changes mean companies can now lodge an application to the TGA for inclusion in this Schedule.
“Nineteen approvals have been issued under the Tasmanian Controlled Access Scheme … and any patient who thinks they may benefit from medical cannabis is encouraged to discuss their treatment with their doctor.