Cannabis legalisation Australia: SA government urged by family to legalise cannabis; Farmers ready to grow medical marijuana

A South Australian family is desperately waiting for the government to legalise medical marijuana. They had to choose between home and health as medicinal cannabis is still illegal there. The family had to relocate to Canada in the middle of 2015 and had to stay there for 10 months to procure medical marijuana for sisters Tabetha and Georgia-Grace Fulton.

Both the sisters suffer from a chronic progressive lung disease that causes huge inflammations around their lungs. The sisters had been taking steroids since birth and that had devastating effects on their health. Mum Bobby Fulton found it hard to watch her daughters suffer so much due to the grave side-effects of the anti-inflammatory drugs.

When 13-year-old Tabetha’s toxicity levels grew dangerously high, the family had to find alternative ways to provide some relief. They tried cannabis oil and it gave immediate relief. Her improvement was noteworthy. The family has now returned to South Australia hoping that medicinal cannabis will be made legal soon. Tabetha is now back on steroids.

“For Tabetha and Georgia-Grace to access it safely in our own state would be absolutely life-changing. It would be absolutely amazing to be able to access it in my own home and not have to go to the other side of the world to live,” the mum told the ABC.

Farmers in the state's South East had a meeting with the local council and many have already identified sites where they can cultivate the cannabis crop. Millicent farmer Garry Davies said that the local council was most helpful and that the farmers are now prepared to grow cannabis in the state.

“South Australia stands along sitting on their hands letting sick and suffering South Australians suffer while medical cannabis is being progressed in all of the other states and territories,” said Greens MLC Tammy Franks.