Pubdate: Mon, 16 Jun 2014
Source: Maitland Mercury, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2014 Rural Press Ltd
Contact:  http://maitland.yourguide.com.au/home.asp
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1076
Author: Emma Swain

MAITLAND MUM JOINS FIGHT TO LEGALISE MEDICAL CANNABIS

Sam Aulton has been forced to break the law to try and save her
life.

With cancer waging a terrifying war on her fragile frame, the young
Maitland woman turned to cannabis oil in a bid to extend her life and
ease her pain.

But instead of the drug yielding the outcome she had hoped for, Ms
Aulton's health deteriorated.

She believes if the drug was legalised for medical purposes her
outcome could have been different.

"I'm not angry but if this drug was decriminalised then I would have
been monitored by the professionals and not forced to go down this
- -unprotected path," she said.

"I had to do it myself and the oil I ended up taking was poisoning
me."

Ms Aulton, 44, has joined a campaign calling for the decriminalisation
of medical cannabis to help ease the suffering of terminally ill patients.

The mother of Maggie, nine, and Ruby, six, today adds her voice to the
groundswell of support for Lucy Haslam, a Tamworth woman seeking
support for a petition launched on behalf of her son Daniel, 24, who
suffers from terminal bowel cancer.

Like Ms Aulton, Daniel is also taking cannabis oil to halt the
- -progression of his disease.

He also takes the drug to manage nausea, vomiting and poor appetite as
a result of ongoing chemotherapy.

"We can see the changes in Daniel and fully believe that cannabis is
absolutely the right path for him to go down as conventional
treatments have failed him," the Haslam family said in their online
petition.

"Our son cannot afford to wait for the government to step
up.

"We need help now."

Ms Aulton was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30 in
2000.

Sadly, the cancer returned almost a decade later and was detected in
her spine and one of her lungs.

It has since spread to her bones.

"The government needs to listen to more stories like ours," Ms Aulton
said. "Having to become a -criminal to try and save your own life is
just -ridiculous."

Medicinal cannabis is used to alleviate a range of -symptoms, such as
nausea, for various illnesses -including Parkinson's- -disease,
multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease and other chronic pain or post
- -traumatic stress disorders.

The drug is legal and -regulated throughout the United States, Canada
and several European -countries.

"I really feel for the Haslam family and I want to help the cause
because even though the cannabis oil didn't work for me I know there
are success stories out there," Ms Aulton said.

"If you had to find a way to save your own life wouldn't you give
anything a go?"

Nurses, midwives also in favour

The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association Council has formally endorsed
a resolution to support the recommendations of a NSW upper house
standing committee and a petition to decriminalise the medical use of
cannabis for terminally ill patients.

Retired nurse Lucy Haslam approached the NSWNMA last month to seek
support for a petition she had launched on behalf of her son Daniel.

Daniel and his family have campaigned for the decriminalisation of
medicinal cannabis, which Mr Haslam uses to assist with the side
effects of chemotherapy -treatment.

NSWNMA general secretary Brett Holmes said the council had agreed to
the resolutions after a thorough review of five recommendations from
the General Purpose Standing Committee in May 2013, a Bill proposed by
Greens MP John Kaye, and international research into medicinal cannabis.

"The NSWNMA Council has endorsed a resolution to support the
implementation of the standing committee's recommendations and also to
support the Haslam family's -petition to decriminalise the medicinal
use of cannabis," Mr Holmes said.

"Our members recognise the importance of exploring improved options
for effective pain management, particularly for those patients who
suffer from constant chronic pain."
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MAP posted-by: Matt