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A top addiction specialist said he is \u201cashamed\u201d of his profession as it has failed families in Ireland who are forced to travel abroad to access cannabis-based medicinal products.<\/p>\nA top addiction specialist said he is \u201cashamed\u201d of his profession as it has failed families in Ireland who are forced to travel abroad to access cannabis-based medicinal products.<\/p>\n
Dr Garrett McGovern, a doctor who specializes in drug and alcohol addiction, said it was a disgrace that parents have to fight for medication that is \u201cimmeasurably changing\u201d the lives of their sick children.<\/p>\n
Dr McGovern, a medical director of the Priority Medical Clinic in Dublin, was speaking as medicinal cannabis campaigners and mothers of sick children called for Health Minister Simon Harris to lift the \u201ceffective embargo\u201d on a Bill that would legalize the drug.<\/p>\n
A year ago the Dail passed the Medicinal Use Regulation Bill on to the detailed scrutiny stage, but there has been a delay in rolling out the scheme.<\/p>\n
In an emotional plea, Vera Twomey, mother of eight-year-old Ava who has epilepsy, called for greater access to medicinal cannabis.<\/p>\n
The mother from Co Cork is forced to travel to Holland every three months to access the medication. Without it, Ms Twomey said, there would be \u201ccatastrophic consequences\u201d for her health.<\/p>\n
Dr McGovern said: \u201cAs I sit here today watching this emotional panel I am actually ashamed to be a doctor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am ashamed of my profession today. They have let the women at this top table down.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a human rights issue and it\u2019s an absolute disgrace.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to proliferate the number of people around this table and we need to make it a mainstream issue. In Ireland we have a history of exporting problems out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud of all of you, I don\u2019t think anyone in this room can understand what you guys are going through.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s bad enough to be going through this but actually to have to fight in this way to be denied medication that is immeasurably changing the lives of your family and your children is disgraceful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Twomey, whose daughter suffers from a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome, secured a licence so Ava could receive cannabidiol (CBD) oil and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) oil.<\/p>\n
She called for Mr Harris to provide legislative change so that parents and children can access the medication locally.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur family has to leave the country every three months, we have to reapply for our licence for medical cannabis every three months,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is very distressing and disturbing to the whole family environment to be leaving every 12 weeks. Any disruption in supply to Ava\u2019s medication could have catastrophic consequences for her health if there is a breakdown in supply in Holland.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not getting support and being driven out of the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not good enough. We want THC and we want CBD in the proper format because we want the best for our kids.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter is an important a person as any other person in this State and she has the right to be respected.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want Simon Harris to do the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gino Kelly, People Before Profit TD, said: \u201cThis unnecessary hold up is preventing children and others who could benefit from access to medicinal cannabis from obtaining it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is needed is for the Medicinal Cannabis Bill to be allowed progress to the committee stage where it can be scrutinized and if necessary amended.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also speaking at the event was Callie Blackwell who is one of the leading medicinal cannabis activists in Britain.<\/p>\n
Her book, The Boy In 7 Billion, tells of how she gave her 14 year-old son illegal cannabis oil after being told he had less than one week to live.<\/p>\n
She said that her son Deryn is \u201cnow doing very well.\u201d<\/p>\n