Christine Jardine on why medical cannabis should be legalised

In Christine Jardine’s Edinburgh West constituency, there’s a little boy called Murray. He has severe Epilepsy. Medical Cannabis could make a huge difference to his life, alleviating the seizures he suffered on a daily basis.

Christine has been helping Murray’s mum, Karen, campaign for a change in the law. She writes in the Edinburgh Reporter about why this is so important:

In my constituency a little boy called Murray Gray has won the hearts of the public through his very similar plight. A rare form of epilepsy which could be eased if the law were changed.

“I went to Downing Street with his Mum, Karen, to hand in a petition of more than 150,000 signatures calling for medical cannabis to be made legal.

“If it, or cannabidoil were available on license then Murray would not have to go through the multiple seizures which have interrupted his schooling.

“For Murray it could be life changing.

“And he is not alone.

“How many of us know someone who suffers from chronic pain?

“How many of us know individuals for whom a change in the law could also be life changing.

“I know there are those who will object. And many of them loudly.

“There will be those who believe it is wrong to make what many regard as a gateway drug widely available, even on prescription.

“But I’d ask them to think about those who can benefit, about the safeguards that will be put in place.

“Think about the children, like Murray Gray, whose lives could be changed.”

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4 Comments

  • OnceALibDem 15th Jun '18 - 3:30pm

    A query as to why LDV covers some Lib Dem MPs actions and not others. My twitter has been full of Tim Farron’s campaign against rail closures over recent weeks – including holding Chris Grayling to account for misleading parliament but that never gets a mention on LDV. This is the third story involving Christine this month (all of which merited coverage).

    I can say plenty against Tim but his campaigning recently deserves at least some recognition.

  • Hang on, surely cannabis-derived medicines are already legal in the UK?

    For instance here’s a nasal spray containing an active ingredient derived from cannabis which seems to be available on prescription for the treatment of symptoms of MS:

    https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/23262

    So what exactly is this campaign asking for that isn’t already true? For cannabis-derived medicines to be legal in the UK? They already are, as that spray proves.

  • She is asking for the use of cannabis oil to be made legal, is that so hard to understand Dav?; if you are trying to be the forums troll you are failing badly.

  • Lorenzo Cherin 16th Jun '18 - 1:04pm

    Can I first of all thank Christine, a very fine member of our team, for this.

    Second point, can I say she should get involved in a bid to change the law now, she or another of our mps must bring in or back a bill.

    I rarely get involved in these forums recently as they here make for too much singling out of people in non constructive ways, and too little freedom to express the individual point of view it seems.This situation is too pivotal to not engage with this. The Home Office are this day relenting in the recent case in Northern Ireland. We are becoming a country with the least progressive medical and related policies and or political decisions there is today, whether NICE or Home Office, is not the issue, it is they as much as corporations, also responsible, who we should criticise adamantly.

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