Credited it with remarkable recovery before cancer returned and killed him

A bowel cancer patient who claimed he was cured by cannabis oil has died - four years after he was given just 18 months to live.

David Hibbitt, 34, was diagnosed with the disease in July 2012 and underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.

Doctors told him the cancer was terminal - so he decided to try cannabis oil as a last resort and bought it from a local dealer for £50 a gram.

He had been concerned about using cannabis oil and even approached a police officer for advic,e but was told it would not be in the public interest to press charges.

Last January the father-of-one revealed he was cancer-free and put the class-B drug down to his miracle recovery.

But the cancer returned in March this year and spread to his lungs and brain. It claimed his life earlier this month.

David Hibbitt, 34, said doctors gave him 18 months to live with advanced bowel cancer. In desperation, he tried cannabis oil, which last year he credited with his recovery. Sadly, the disease has now claimed his life

Today, his family vowed to fight for more research into the use of cannabis oil for cancer patients.

His sister Alison Hayward, 38, of Stafford, said: 'Dave would never tell people to stop taking their treatment.

'But the cannabis oil certainly helped Dave and cannabis certainly has healing properties.

'He was striving for cannabis to be legalised for medicinal use and he had meetings with his MP.

'Dave was very laid back. He would always think about other people before himself.

'He always believed if you wanted something badly enough you could achieve it and that you should follow your dreams.

'He had set up a charity and a support group to help other people going through cancer. That work is going to continue.'

His mother, Glenda Eardley, 61, added: 'I love my son, I'm very proud of him. He was very strong and never complained of being in pain.

'He was such a caring lad, he always thought about others first.'

Mr Hibbitt was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer after initially being told he was suffering from piles.

After undergoing treatment at the Christie Hospital, in Manchester, the cancer returned and he had another operation in July 2013 followed by more chemotherapy.

He was given the all-clear before Christmas that year, but a month later he found a lump, and was told the cancer was in the lymph nodes in his groin.

Speaking last year, Mr Hibbitt, who worked in advertising, said: 'This time they told me there wasn't a lot they could do.

Paying tribute to her son (pictured with his wife Heather) , Mr Hibbitt's mother, Glenda Eardley, 61, added: 'I love my son, I'm very proud of him. He was very strong and never complained of being in pain'

'I was told I may only have 18 months to live and I felt I had to try everything I could.

'In July, after doing a lot of research, I got some cannabis oil. I was having chemo, and I was getting to a point where I couldn't really do much, I had no energy.

'In August I decided I'd had enough and I was going to stop the chemotherapy.

CANNABIS OIL: AN EXPERT VIEW Dr Kat Arney, from Cancer Research UK, said: 'We know that cannabinoids - the active chemicals found in cannabis - can have a range of different effects on cancer cells grown in the lab and animal tumours. 'But at the moment there isn't good evidence from clinical trials to prove that they can safely and effectively treat cancer in patients. 'Despite this, some cancer patients do choose to treat themselves with cannabis extracts. 'Researchers are collecting patients' experiences to build a picture of whether these treatments are helping or not, although this is weak evidence compared to properly-run clinical trials. 'Cancer Research UK is supporting clinical trials for treating cancer with cannabinoid-based drugs in order to gather solid data on whether they benefit people with cancer.' Advertisement

'I felt like it was killing me and I had nothing to lose. I couldn't accept I was going to die.'

After going online to research his options, he discovered a lot of information about cannabis oil - and decided to try it.

Mr Hibbitt, from Stoke-on-Trent, said: 'Friends had told me about cannabis oil and I dismissed it at first. I've never been into drugs.

'I pay around £50 for a gram from a bloke I know who makes it,' he said. 'That lasts me about a month usually.

'It gets your pretty high and knocks you for six, but it's nowhere near as bad as chemotherapy.

'The pain just seemed to disappear and it seems to have done the job. I just want to make other people aware there are other options out there.'

In October, he had an operation to remove the affected lymph nodes at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

But he chose to carry on taking cannabis oil rather than have any more treatment, deciding against further chemotherapy sessions.

Following a scan in January 2015, he was given the all-clear.

Mr Hibbitt, who has a six-year-old son, Ashton, said: 'I feel really good and I hope my story will help other people.'

His wife Heather, a nursery nurse, said: 'I didn't want him to take the cannabis oil at first because it's illegal, but I saw the change in him and slowly got used to it.

'He is a determined person and did a lot of research. He wanted to live.'

Describing the effects of cannabis oil, he said last year: 'It gets your pretty high and knocks you for six, but it's nowhere near as bad as chemotherapy. The pain just seemed to disappear. I just want to make other people aware that there are other options out there'

Cancer Research UK says it is aware of patients using cannabis extracts to treat themselves but stressed there is 'no good evidence' to prove it was safe and effective.

The charity is supporting clinical trials into the use of the drug and a synthetic cannabinoid to treat the disease.

Dr Kat Arney, from Cancer Research UK, said: 'We know that cannabinoids - the active chemicals found in cannabis - can have a range of different effects on cancer cells grown in the lab and animal tumours.

'But at the moment there isn't good evidence from clinical trials to prove that they can safely and effectively treat cancer in patients.

'Despite this, some cancer patients do choose to treat themselves with cannabis extracts.

'Researchers are collecting patients' experiences to build a picture of whether these treatments are helping or not, although this is weak evidence compared to properly-run clinical trials.