Medical Cannabis Story

Marijuana makes my life bearable says former cancer patient
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1st Feb 2013 5:47 AM

TERRY Summersides can be given morphine legally but would rather smoke pot because, he says, it has fewer side-effects.

After having major surgery for throat and jaw cancer in 2009, Mr Summersides struggles to sleep and eat and is in constant pain.

He is disturbingly thin and doctors warn he may die from malnutrition as the surgery has made it difficult for him to swallow.

His condition makes it easy for him to get a prescription for opiates such as morphine.

But bitter experience has taught him this drug leaves him "feeling fuzzy", causes addiction and "takes away from my quality of life".

So the Maroochydore dad has been using marijuana.

He says it helps him sleep, relieves his nausea and makes him hungry.

However to use his drug of choice Mr Summersides must break the law.

He wants this changed so that people, like him, can have the option to use marijuana for "medicinal purposes", as is the case in many other parts of the world.

Mr Summersides copped a $300 fine on August 22 because he was caught driving while the drug was still present in his saliva.

He decided to challenge the fine in court.

"The judge felt sorry for me and said he would kept it at the minimum fine ($300 and one month's suspension) because it was still against the law," he said.

But the court challenge was still expensive for Mr Summersides, who lives on a disability pension.

The past four years have been incredibly rough for Mr Summersides.

His daughter Fiona almost died and lost both her legs after contracting swine flu in 2009.

At the same time, he was diagnosed with aggressive cancer in his jaw and throat. His teeth were removed and he had extensive radiation and chemotherapy.

Nambour GP and former Australian Medical Association Queensland president Wayne Herdy said there was "considerable research which demonstrated marijuana has positive, potential medical benefits".

"However, for every potential benefit there is a safer legal medication, which is either equal or better," he said.

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