Vera Twomey and many others deserve the chance to make use of medical cannabis

Dear Sir,

I have been closely involved with Vera Twomey’s campaign and her fight to get Medical Cannabis legal and available to the citizens of the Republic of Ireland, just like it became available to the citizens of Australia, when Perth received its 1st shipment of Medical Cannabis last week. http://www.abc.net.au/ triplej/programs/hack/ first-medicinal-cannabis

Why are the citizens of the Republic of Ireland and their legal rights, being ignored, by our Minister for Health Simon Harris?

This Government/ Simon Harris, ignored Vera Twomey last week, when she was forced to take drastic action again, after walking for 9 days from Cork to Dublin last month. Vera Twomey was forced to sit at the front gate of the Dail. Last week many supporters joined Vera Twomey including myself and camped outside the Dail, until this minister for our health would meet with this mother.

This Minister for our health, Simon Harris decided to ignore these Irish citizens, Irish citizens who were fighting to save their children who also suffered from epilepsy and others like myself, who want to see this medicine available to every medical card holder, because it works. But this government refuses to make the necessary changes in the Law, making another one of the compounds of the Cannabis Plant THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) legal in this country.

CanniMed has traces of THC and this was the reason Vera Twomey, had her daughter Ava’s medication confiscated by customs recently. On returning to Ireland from Spain, where she was forced to go in search for this medicine, a Spanish doctor gave Ava, a legal prescription for Medicated Cannabis, the same medicine Irish citizens are being refused access to NOW.

In the Irish Independent (5th May) this Minister for Our Health Simon Harris, announced at the annual meeting of the Irish Pharmacy Union, that people will no longer have to visit their GP for a prescription for the morning after pill and the easier access to this medicine is due to come in July.

Why did the same minister, ignore Vera Twomey last week when she was outside the front gates of the Dail? Instead, all Irish citizens rights to have access to this medicine, are being ignored by this minister.

Simon Harris’s decisions and limited action, in making the necessary changes to make this a medicine, is forcing some Irish citizens who are in search, for this medicine, to take even more drastic action. Our long battle, to get a meeting with this same Minister Simon Harris and get this Medicine made legal in Ireland was unsuccessful this time.

Is this Minister for our health going to continue, to ignore the rights of every Irish citizen.

I have had epilepsy (Tonic Clonic seizures) since the age of 4. I have gone through two brain surgeries, both were unsuccessful in controlling my seizures and the same for a very long list, of prescription anti-epileptic medication I have gone through, battling with the side effects, side effects that were sometimes more dangerous than the seizures. “Medical Cannabis has NO side effects.

When I found cannabis oil nearly a year ago, I found a excellent medicine that was illegal in this country, that same medicine is now controlling my seizures. Before that, I was legally being prescribed, 4 different types of, medication over 2100mg per day. I have reduced my medication down to 900mg a day, with the help of Medicated Cannabis Oil and I now have total control, over MY seizures.

There is no reason why a properly trained GP can’t prescribe medical cannabis. It is done all the time now in countries like, Australia, US, Canada and many more.

Yours, Alex Baizert, Drogheda.