My cousin Oliver suffers from severe epilepsy (Picture: Kate Rothwell)

I started the campaign to legalise medical cannabis because of my cousin, Oliver.

He’s 11-years-old, and has severe epilepsy.

The only thing that helps him is cannabis oil, and like so many other patients, he’s unable to access this through the UK medical system.

Oliver was on cannabis oil, administered at home, for 18 months, during which time the rate of seizures he suffered dropped from up to 20 per day down to a handful.


I find it really frustrating and upsetting that a medicine that helps to this extent is being withheld due to political agenda.

Doctors around the world agree that cannabis oil is beneficial for a multitude of medical conditions, and I believe that decisions on medication should be in the hands of doctors, not politicians.



My campaign is calling for the legalisation of cannabis oil – to allow it to be prescribed through the NHS, so that patients who need it are not denied access.

The reason I chose to adopt a more systemic approach, rather than petitioning for a personal license for Oliver, is that this is not an isolated case.

Billie Caldwell and Alfie Evans have been discussed frequently in the press recently – so that’s three unwell little boys that I know about. Clearly asking for another personal license wouldn’t be enough.

Since starting my campaign, I have been absolutely blown away by the support received from hundreds of thousands of people. People are choosing to share their personal stories, and are now relying on me to represent them and push for this legislative change.

(Picture: Derek Bremner/NME)

This week, I attended the NME-hosted symposium to discuss the legalisation of medicinal cannabis, where I was joined by Damian Marley, MP Norman Lamb, Professor Green and Dr Frank Ambrosio.

During our conversations, we kept sharing personal stories and mentioning other people we knew, or who had written to us, who are all so desperate for this law to change.

What really struck me was the passion and determination of each of these people to make change, as everyone knows someone who needs it.

I’m totally overwhelmed by the responses I have had to the petition, and it’s inspiring me every day to push harder to change these laws, and quickly.

The review that has been promised by the government is a fantastic step, and I’m thrilled that they are acknowledging the public demand for change – but this is absolutely not enough.

This is about medicine, not finances or politics. It can’t be put off for even a day longer than necessary, as every single second that cannabis oil is illegal, people are suffering.

For me, that means I have to watch Oliver convulse with severe seizures. For others, it means another day waking up with debilitating pain.

I am imploring the government to please accept the thousands of medical papers published around the world, accept the success of California, and Holland, and Israel, and exercise compassion and urgency in changing this law.

You can sign my petition at change.org.

MORE: Professor Green calls for legalising weed as he blasts UK for ‘not having liberal attitude’

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