EVERY week Dan Haslan breaks the law by smoking marijuana and taking cannabis oil. He not only has the approval of his father, an ex-drug squad detective, but also has the blessings of his town’s top cop.

The 24-year-old has terminal cancer, and despite the illegality of cannabis use for medicinal reasons, the entire community, including the police have his back.

“I’ll probably get into trouble but why should we, with people with a terminal illness, create a criminal act for accessing things that relive their pain,” Tamworth Super Intendent Clint Pheeney said.

He comes home after chemo, has a few drags and then comes in and has something to eat. To see this is nothing short of miraculous.

Lucy Haslan

“It’s not a case of turning a blind eye, we have always had discretion for people in possession of small amounts under the cannabis cautioning scheme.”

Diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2010, the fortnightly chemo that keeps Mr Haslan alive used to make him so violently ill he would have to be hospitalised for hydration.

Late last year Mr Haslan’s mother Lucy sourced illegally grown cannabis for her son as research shows it quells nausea.

“I haven’t been violently ill since I started on it, that alone is enough for me, from spending a night in hospital and losing five kilos every fortnight to not vomiting and being able to eat,” Mr Haslan said

Lucy Haslan said the drug’s effect is miraculous.

“He comes home after chemo, has a few drags and then comes in and has something to eat,” Ms Haslan said.

“To see this is nothing short of miraculous. He has not vomited since he has been having the cannabis after chemotherapy,” she said.

“Everything we are doing is illegal,” Mr Haslan’s wife Alyce said.

“But we have the support of the police, the support of the community and we are doing criminal activities because this is life or death.”

media_camera Dan Haslan’s wife Alyce says using cannabis has helped with how he copes after chemo

The pair, who were childhood sweethearts, married last year despite his grim prognosis.

Dan’s father Lou, a retired policeman, ran the drug squad for the North West region of NSW.

“I lectured on the prohibition of cannabis in the 70s because of the long term effects, the drug induced psychosis and we don’t want kids going to school stoned.

“It is not a soft drug, but we are not talking about that, the science is there, the use of cannabis for terminally ill people or people on chemo, it is a fact it does relieve nausea and gives them an appetite,” Mr Haslan, 61, said.

“We had steak and chips after chemo the other night for crying out loud.

“We raised our kids to be against drugs, but this is different, when it’s your kid and the doctors say there is nothing they can do for him, this is hope,” Mrs Haslan said.

We have the support of the police, the support of the community and we are doing criminal activities because this is life or death

Lucy Haslan

The medicinal use of marijuana remains illegal Australia-wide. A trial announced by Labor premier Bob Carr in 2003 fell over because of concerns about supply and the current government also knocked back the recommendations of a cross-party parliamentary committee who unanimously recommending the move last year.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner said she had issues with the safety of crude cannabis.

“I have written to the Federal Government to request support for further clinical research to support the development of pharmaceutical grade cannabis medicines, as recommended last year,” Ms Skinner said.

media_camera Dan Haslan has the support of his entire community.

“With only limited scientific evidence available on the safe use of crude cannabis, the NSW Government is unable to support the remaining four Committee recommendations, which seek to decriminalise the use of crude cannabis for selected patient groups based on medical approval,” she said.

Dan Haslan will keep using, illegal or not and has the support of the entire Tamworth community.

“I’d like them (politicians) to show a bit of compassion and not treat this like a political football, we are in a democracy where there is overwhelming support for it, so why is it not happening,” said Dan.

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