Thank you for the sensible and compassionate editorial which you published on April 16 about Dan Haslam’s fight to obtain medically prescribed marijuana to relieve his nausea after chemotherapy.
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We were very disappointed to hear that our federal member Barnaby Joyce and the NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner rejected his plea and that of the thousands of people who have signed Dan’s petition.
Either they have not looked carefully at the evidence and at Dan’s
situation before jumping to conclusions, or they are displaying a callous lack of compassion for a fine young man who is suffering unnecessarily.
Moreover, there are many others in Australia who are seriously ill and could be helped by this form of pain relief.
Doctors give people morphine, derived from opium, under medical supervision which is a far more dangerous drug. Why is there such an inconsistent standard being applied here?
We would appeal to Jillian Skinner to think again. There is no shame in changing your mind in a situation such as this when your decision can relieve so much distress.
How would these politicians feel if their son or daughter was in this situation?
Gordon and Chris Holdain
Tamworth
