AN ELDERLY quadriplegic man who was recently fined $1000 after growing one cannabis plant for personal use has thrown his support behind easier access and greater freedom to medicinal marijuana products.
Last week, policed attended Daniel Hunt’s Mount Gambier home and found one cannabis plant growing in his backyard.
Police then searched his home and found one tin of dried cannabis and a vape machine, which the 72-year-old uses for muscle relaxation and to reduce pain.
Mr Hunt was fined $960 for cultivating and possessing cannabis and equipment.
“I understand they had to do it, but it left me gutted, it really did,” he said.
“Marijuana is the best thing for my pain.”
In 1996, Mr Hunt was involved in an accident while undertaking routine repairs on his truck which left him a quadriplegic.
“My injury was very severe as it was a C3 level – if it was another vertebrae up, I would be on a respirator for the rest of my life,” he said.
“I spent 12 months in Hampstead Rehabilitation Hospital and when I got home, one of my friends asked if I had tried marijuana to help with the pain.
“It was the first time I tried it and it worked wonders.
“There are many good things about [marijuana].
“Endone and Panadieine Forte will ease my pain, but marijuana does it quicker, easier and better.
“It is a pain deterrent, but it also helps me with my appetite, keeps me calm and stops spasms.”
Mr Hunt’s self-medication was and remains illegal under state legislation, however he says current barriers to access means despite medicinal cannabis being legalised it is inaccessible for most.
“There is one doctor that apparently does scripts for it, but my doctors does not,” he said.
“I would like marijuana for medicinal purposes to be totally legalised and easier to get for everyone.
“A lot of people could benefit from it.
changed “It has changed my life.”
Mr Hunt’s former carer and friend Karen Altschwager agreed, saying the illegal treatment was of benefit to his condition.
“Daniel had a bad operation and as a result has something called dumping syndrome – he feels sick, his nose runs and he gets dizzy,” she said.
“Nothing can help with that but marijuana.
“All of the medication he takes has a number of side effects which put a massive strain on his body.
“His organs are already not working the best due to his neck injury and when you throw all the other medications in, it places more pressure on his already pressured body.”
Currently, Sativex – a mouth spray used in multiple sclerosis to improve muscle stiffness which contains cannabis extract – is the only approved medicinal cannabis product for use in Australia.
All other medicinal cannabis products require prescription and only after an authorised health practitioner has applied to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
However, not all general practitioners are eligible to prescribe medicinal cannabis and the costs of accessing products can cost $800 a month.
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners South Australian chair Zak Baig said accessing medicinal cannabis was “highly bureaucratic, time consuming and expensive”.
“Unfortunately, there are issues in South Australia and other jurisdictions concerning how patients access medicinal cannabis,” he said.
“We need a consistent national regulatory framework that is user-friendly with fewer hoops to jump through.”
Ms Altschwager said the current medicinal cannabis pathway was not working and called on State and Federal Governments to make products easier to access.
“If it was cheaper and easier to get medicinal marijuana, this would never have happened,” she said.
“The government needs to make it accessible and legalise it.
“Dan was not planning on selling it or giving it away – it was for his own personal use.”
In a statement, a police spokesperson said the self-cultivated cannabis was not a medicinal cannabis product and its cultivation was a criminal offence.
The spokesperson said medically prescribed cannabis can be obtained through authorised medical practitioners.
“Self-cultivated cannabis is not a medicinal cannabis product,” the spokesperson said.
“Members of the public wishing to inform themselves regarding medical cannabis are encouraged to visit the Australian Government Department of Health Therapeutic Goods Administration Website.”
