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Blantyre woman teams up with parents looking for a change in policy
A Blantyre woman who credited cannabis oil for curing her terminal cancer has joined forces with a group of campaigning parents to fight for a change in UK drug policy.
Lynn Cameron, who is part of the Medical Cannabis Reform Scotland campaign, works with the group to push for the reform of the current laws around the use of cannabis for medication.
And this week she teamed up with 10 families from across the UK to launch their new campaign Parents of Hope at, perhaps fittingly, the HOPECBD Stadium in Hamilton.
While the prescription of medicinal cannabis was legalised in the UK, under Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, earlier this year, the parents say it’s so restricted that their kids could die before they’re given the chance of a prescription.
Now they’re demanding that the control of cannabis be devolved to the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland so that specialist doctors can prescribe cannabis produced for medicinal use, to give their children a fighting chance at life.
Lynn said: “The problem of prescription has been a result of guidelines produced by NHS England, the BPNA and the Royal College of Physicians, which severely limits access despite it now being legal.
“The Medical Cannabis Reform Scotland campaign has been following each of these children’s stories and worked closely with the families as we prepared to launch this Parents of Hope campaign together.
“It is clear that each of these children suffer with different lifelimiting debilitating illnesses and need the prescription of medical cannabis now, not in a few months’ time, to help save their lives.
“Currently, the risks parents are taking, the money that it’s costing them, the heartache, the stress, it all could be stopped if the Government would just help and support us in sourcing whole plant extract.”
The Parents of Hope are working with Medical Cannabis Reform Scotland in a bid to change the current UK Government law surrounding the legal prescription route in Scotland.
They are also looking at de-facto decriminalisation of cannabis not covered by the recent changes.
Lynn added: “There are so many parents giving it to their kids illegally and just keeping quiet about it because it’s helping them, and they’re so scared of being arrested, or a visit from social services, but it’s helping their children lead normal lives – that’s wrong. They should be getting help from their doctors.
“I for one used it illegally – but you know what, I’d rather be illegally alive than legally dead.
“All the parents want is for their children to be properly tested through a clinic and then be administered the correct strain – legally and safely.
“We need identification and engagement of the key institutions needed to improve the guidelines on cannabis to make them specific to Scotland and we’re going to keep fighting for all these parents.
“Children’s lives are at risk and their families are suffering. We need to do something about it now.”