Police raids home of cancer patient, confiscates cannabis oil
The man, who suffers from stage 4 cancer, had to import cannabis oil from abroad due to nationwide shortage in medical cannabis and is now deprived of the only efficient treatment for his symptoms following police crackdown; 'He is a sick man, not a criminal' says daughter
The patient, a 66-year-old man who suffers from stage 4 colorectal cancer and uses CBD extractions to fight pain and the side effects of chemotherapy, had to import cannabis oil from abroad due to nationwide shortage in medical cannabis.
The man's daughter told about the incredible effects the treatment had on her father's condition in an interview with 'Cannabis' magazine.
"Thanks to cannabis, my dad started gaining weight and sleepa better at night," Said the daughter. "He is much more vital and is not in as much pain. Cannabis also assists him in walking, which was impaired by the chemotherapy treatment."
The daughter also told 'Cannabis' about the family's constant struggle to obtain the medicine, although the man possesses a license for medical cannabis.
"My dad didn't get his medicine for two months now. Every morning we call every pharmacy in the area and ask if there's any cannabis, but in vain. Our frustration is immense. We reduced his dosage to the bare minimum, just so that he is not be left without cannabis. We take every little smidge of cannabis into account."
"We are a normative family and we have never had any problems with the police. My parents were shocked when police officers knocked on our door," said the daughter.
"My mom begged the cops not to take our oil, but they confiscated my father's medicine. The state's conduct in our case is absurd. It deprives my father of the only treatment that helps him, while also turning us into criminals. We have to spend a lot of money on the oil because the state fails to supply the it to us, and took away the medicine we had to order."
"My dad is a strong man, but I saw how upset he was with the search at our house. It is a pity that he was forced to go through this in his condition. He is a sick person, not a criminal", the man's daughter concluded.
The Israel Police said in response to the incident that "the search was conducted in accordance with a court order following a report of suspected drug import".
"We would like to emphasize that CBD, a substance extracted from cannabis, is classified as a dangerous drug and in accordance with the law, the import of drugs from abroad requires a special permit from the Ministry of Health, which was absent in this case," the police added.
"We would also like to wish the man a speedy recovery and strong health."
CBD is one of many compounds, known as cannabinoids, found in the cannabis plant. Researchers have been looking at the possible therapeutic uses of CBD, and many patients use it to ease symptoms of cancer, epilepsy and glaucoma, among other diseases and conditions.
CBD doesn't possess any psychoactive traits and doesn't give the 'high' sensation caused by THC, another constituent found in cannabis.
