GUEST BLOG: Katy Thomas – The medicinal cannabis trauma isn’t over, we’ve just stopped haemorrhaging for now

Receipt of Eddy’s months-overdue prescribed medicinal cannabidiol (CBD) is not the deliverance you might expect, it is merely a stay of execution.  Under no circumstances the pardon to reside freely for our 7yo blue eyed surprise. The trauma isn’t over, we’ve simply stopped haemorrhaging for now.  Not the money although.  The invoice for six months reprieve is $11,000

“Imported products are expensive and patients are going to the black market to find their medicine”  stated Assoc Professor Ali Seyfuddin, AUT Drug Supply Analysis Group on Truthful Go final evening. He says the federal government wants extra versatile rules to permit New Zealand firms to carry merchandise to market and assist sufferers entry extra reasonably priced drugs.  

The present highlighted how weak kiwis are being focused on-line by scams purporting to promote CBD oil that hardly ever comprises the dose described on the label. Our authorities has left medically weak kiwis open to exploitation by not offering an accessible medicinal hashish scheme.  It’s been 4 years.  Sufferers can’t and wont look forward to additional regression.

As quickly as Eddy’s medical hashish arrived the long-held oppressive weight of stress and perpetual sleep deprivation delivered it’s ultimate sucker-punch to me – I went straight into average to extreme anaphylaxis for 2 weeks. As I write, I’m on a excessive dose of prednisone and antihistamines to maintain the epi-pen at arm’s size.  Add caregiver stress to the burden major care shoulders for presidency ineptitude on medicinal hashish supply.

On Sunday night we appeared on 1News to discuss the medicinal cannabis crisis our government created.  Created and denied. When requested; “Has the Authorities made a multitude of the medical hashish market?”  Jacinda Ardern answered (laughing)  “No. In the end, we would like New Zealanders to entry protected merchandise to handle their medical want.  If that isn’t what persons are experiencing, then we’ll preserve trying on the system we now have created.”

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The bald-faced “No.” didn’t have to be paired with a smirk of derision however it was.  A laugh in the face of all the pain and suffering their systems have visited upon us.  A jeer on the jail-sentences and distress 4 years of incompetence has dropped at bear on the ¼ million of New Zealand sufferers who haven’t been capable of entry reasonably priced hashish drugs.

New Zealand medicinal hashish firms inform me there are 2000 repeat prescriptions per 30 days for medical hashish.  2012 Ministry of Health Survey data showed 42% of 11% of cannabis consumption was for medical purposes.  With out adjusting for inhabitants development, meaning lower than 1% of the affected person inhabitants is accessing authorized medicinal hashish.  

In different phrases, our Authorities is proud of greater than 99% of kiwi sufferers utilizing unlawful, untested, unsafe hashish. 

A paper put forth by ESR after testing 100 samples of Green Fairy “CBD” oil revealed the contents to be highly variable and rarely high in CBD as claimed.  One involved grandfather was shocked to find the “CBD” oil his grandson had been taking for his paediatric epilepsy was excessive in THC, containing little or no CBD in any respect.  

Zero fucks given for affected person security.

We checked out of Starship for 48hs of video EEG monitoring the place Eddy’s Neurologist and Psychiatrist noticed numerous disturbing behaviours – not the least of which repeated self-harm and violent episodes.  It’s essential to tell apart on this level that these behaviours have now dissipated together with his prescribed CBD we import from the UK.  The one 2 permitted CBD merchandise out there right here didn’t try this.  All CBD shouldn’t be created equal.  

“It’s not a one-size fits all product” says leader of Auckland Patient Group, Pearl Chomburg Which is why a free market is so essential.  Sufferers should have choices.

In the first 3 months of 2021, 121 consignments were interrupted at the border by Customs.  Final yr greater than 200 consignments of medicinal hashish have been destroyed on the border.  How protected is it to intercept drugs New Zealand sufferers have to deal with for his or her circumstances?  How protected is it to override prescribing medical professionals?  How protected is it to play God with our endurance and our affected person’s lives?

Let’s call it for what it is, what Professor Michael Baker did in the NZ Herald last week – our government’s inaccessible and unaffordable medicinal cannabis scheme is a war on sick people and it has to stop. 

Katy Thomas is a TV Presenter, enterprise proprietor and affected person advocate.  She has a petition at her weblog website wellfitmum.com and you’ll be taught extra about her journey at Instagram.com/iamkatythomas   After Eddy was refused ketogenic eating regimen assist for his epilepsy by ADHB, she began ketogenic meals firm Keto Happy Co. to enhance affected person entry and assist.  When she isn’t engaged on that she is Mum to Eddy and Harry.