A Queensland woman who has regularly travelled to the US to treat her son’s brain tumour with medical cannabis says receiving the treatment at home would be welcome.
Lanai Carter said the Federal Government’s move to legalise the growing of cannabis for medicinal purposes was a step in the right direction.
She has been campaigning in favour of medicinal cannabis since she saw its positive effects on her 17-year-old son, Lindsay.
Ms Carter said Lindsay was diagnosed with a brain tumour about two-and-a-half years ago and suffers epilepsy resulting from the tumour.
“After finding out that it was quite risky to have surgery on that tumour and the risks involved with that with impacting his speech and language potentially, we made the decision to go to the US for treatment,” she said.
She and her son initially travelled to Texas from their home in Logan, south of Brisbane, but medical treatment made no difference.
They then headed to Washington state, where medical cannabis was recommended for reducing the brain tumour, managing pain and nausea, and alleviating his epilepsy.
‘Medical benefits proven over many years’
“Once he started on that treatment of medical cannabis, within seven weeks his tumour reduced by almost half the size and swelling started to reduce substantially,” Ms Carter said.
“We came back to Australia and within seven weeks his tumour had regrown by about four millimetres – [after being] off the treatment.
“So we actually did four trips back to the US, backwards and forwards last year, each time making progress with the tumour and his epilepsy being very well managed on the treatment.
“But coming home he would suffer with seizures again.”
Ms Carter said their numerous trips to the US for treatment had all but wiped out her family’s superannuation savings and placed a heavy burden on them.
“These changes would mean he (Lindsay) could be able to stay in his own state, in his own country and be able to receive treatment here under supervision of his doctors and specialists instead of our family being torn apart essentially and having to either relocate to another country or be under threat of prosecution here in Australia,” she said.
“When you start to look at a lot of the reports and the studies relating to the harm, a lot of those have been funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse in America.
“So [they’re] not really looking at the potential medical benefits, which have been proven over many years.”
State Government says Queensland could benefit
Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick welcomed the Federal Government’s move.
“As a Queenslander, we’ve got the agriculture know-how, the climate, the medical expertise to harness this potential industry,” he said.
“I think it’s an exciting opportunity, should the Federal Government pursue that, for Queensland.
“I know Forbes magazine has indicated that by 2018 the value of authorised medicinal cannabis used in the community around the world will be about $10 billion, that’s a big potential market.”