Michael Lambert, who shared his story with The Leader at November’s medical marijuana symposium in Tamworth, was carrying a mature cannabis plant and a number of seeds when he calmly strode to the counter of Gosford Police Station last week.

Mr Lambert’s three-year-old daughter Katelyn is living with Dravet syndrome, a form of catastrophic epilepsy that causes her to suffer regular and severe seizures.

A growing body of evidence from parents of epileptic children shows cannabis oil, which has virtually none of the compound that gets users “high”, can profoundly reduce seizures.

Mr Lambert is part of an army of Australian parents risking criminal prosecution to ensure their children receive the most effective medical care by using the oil.

Concerned about the quality of his daughter’s black-market oil and incensed he could not travel with it because it was illegal, Mr Lambert challenged Gosford police to arrest him last week.

The cannabis plant and seeds were seized but Mr Lambert was not arrested.

“I want my day in court, I want everyone to see how ridiculous these laws are,” he said.

“The law should be protecting my interests. Is it in my interest to watch her die? Is it in my interest to give her untested medicine?”

He also demanded police test his cannabis oil to ensure it contained no toxic chemicals.  Last month, Mr Lambert failed in a bid to win a cannabis exemption for Katelyn because she is not classified as terminally ill.

He has since written to parliamentarians and the police ombudsman to protest against the decision.

Mr Lambert said he spent about $50 a day on his daughter’s cannabis oil, importing it from a supplier in Denmark.

“I don’t know what’s in it but I know it’s helping Katelyn,” he said.

“This oil is a miracle, it gives me hope for the future.

“We shouldn’t be made into criminals because our daughter is sick.”