Rose Renton, the mother of 19-year-old Alex Renton who is in an induced coma in Wellington Hospital, has felt a weight lift off her shoulders as Alex responds to the medicinal cannabis he's been treated with.

When Rose Renton was having a break from watching her son fight for his life in hospital, she found herself listening to Lecretia Seales talking about her right to choose how to die.

Talking about Seales brings tears to Renton's eyes.

Seales, a Wellington lawyer, died earlier this month from a brain tumour. Just days before she was told the High Court had turned down her bid to have her doctor help her die.

Nelson teenager Alex Renton was the first person in New Zealand to receive medicinal cannabis.

"When I went home from one of the (hospital) visits Lecretia was on TV and I was drawn to her ...and sat and watched it. I was touched by her and I understand how she felt...because she felt she had the right as an individual to make a choice about how she lived or died."

Renton said she felt the same way about her son, Alex, 19, who is in Wellington Hospital suffering from "status epilepticus", a kind of prolonged seizure.

For more than 60 days Alex's life hung on a thread until Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne approved a medicinal cannabinoid, Elixinol, which he has received in increasing doses since Tuesday.

ROSS GIBLIN/FAIRFAX NZ Rose Renton has drawn strength from Lecretia Seales.

Renton said Seales wasn't heard by the authorities in the end, which was how she felt about Alex's situation.

She spent weeks fighting for the hospital to apply to the Ministry of Health to receive medicinal cannabis after more than 20 conventional treatments had been exhausted.

"If Alex had a choice he would have chosen a natural remedy so yes, I connect with Lecretia and her strength."

Supplied The cannabinoid oil used to treat Nelson teenager Alex Renton.

Since receiving Elixinol, Alex's high temperature has dropped, his seizures have stopped and he is "noticeably calmer". He has gradually been brought out of an induced coma.

"For the first time in 10 weeks I can see my son. He opens his eyes and he has an awareness. I think if Alex could get beyond the drugs he's on and communicate then he would."

Renton, a mother of seven, doesn't want to get too excited but she finds it hard to keep it in check with the progress he's made.

"I have to repeat to him continuously 'you're safe, you're in Wellington Hospital, you've been asleep for a long time and you won't be able to talk'."

She said she knows he wants to be communicating with her now but his condition is preventing him from doing so.

But if he could talk she's certain he'd be asking "what the hell is going on" and probably saying "I told you so" about the Elixinol working.

Alex researches all sorts of things and Renton says there's a certain irony in the fact he spent last year reading up about medicinal cannabis.

"People ask me how much you know about it. I guess for me I'm aware of the recreational side of cannabis. I lived in Golden Bay for 7 years and you don't live there without knowing something about it."

When Renton went public that she had applied to the Ministry of Health for the treatment there were protests at the hospital in support of Alex and it kick-started a national conversation about broadening access to medicinal cannabis.

The support from the public was "inspiring" and making her stronger, she said.

"It's become a crusade. It isn't just about Alex any more and although Peter Dunne says it doesn't set a precedent, it does."

"If we can make a difference for others who need access to medicinal marijuana then so be it."