Edinburgh West MP wants medical cannabis legalised

Christine Jardine MP for Edinburgh West has accompanied her constituent Karen Gray to Downing Street to hand in a petition. Here she explains why she thought it was important to offer that support.

“There can be few things worse than watching your child suffer.

“But I cannot imagine what it must be like if they are in pain or have a condition which you know there is something could alleviate, but it is not licensed.

“It’s not legally available.

“That is exactly the situation too many people in this county face at the moment.

“Too many parents – like my constituent Karen Gray – have to witness their children going through epileptic seizures knowing there is a medication that could help.

“Too many people are in pain from conditions like multiple sclerosis when it could so easily be relieved, by medical cannabis. Or a derivative.

“Recently the case of Alfie Dingley highlighted the catch 22 of knowing his rare form of epilepsy is relieved by a cannabis derivative. But it is not licensed in the UK.

“In my constituency A little boy called Murray Gray has won the hearts of the public through his very similar plight. A rare form of epilepsy which could be eased if the law were changed.

“I went to Downing Street with his Mum, Karen, to hand in a petition of more than 150,000 signatures calling for medical cannabis to be made legal.

“If it, or cannabidoil were available on license then Murray would not have to go through the multiple seizures which have interrupted his schooling.

“For Murray it could be life changing.

“And he is not alone.

“How many of us know someone who suffers from chronic pain?

“How many of us know individuals for whom a change in the law could also be life changing.

“I know there are those who will object. And many of them loudly.

“There will be those who believe it is wrong to make what many regard as a gateway drug widely available, even on prescription.

“But I’d ask them to think about those who can benefit, about the safeguards that will be put in place.

“Think about the children, like Murray Gray, whose lives could be changed.”