Alicia Maher who suffers with chronic pain due to a series of medical complications which all began with having her tonsils removed at 17 recently returned home after being away for almost 2 years. Read more here.

Alicia had to leave Ireland due to the lack of effective access to cannabis here to treat her chronic pain. She left in November 2019 headed to Alicante, Spain where access to cannabis is tolerated through local cannabis clubs. Since getting to Alicante Alicia has been able to access cannabis effectively enough that she is able to treat her chronic pain without the need for opiates which did little to ease Alicia’s pain and had some unpleasant side effects. Before having Cannabis to treat her pain Alicia was on up to 30 tablets a day to treat her condition and now that she has access to cannabis she no longer replies on opiate based painkillers any longer.

Last Thursday 21st of October Alicia decided to book a flight home for the following morning. She left Spain without any of her cannabis for fear of being stopped by the authorities on the way home. This is because she was told by the health ministers office that her cannabis would be seized and she could be arrested if she attempts to smuggle it into the country. Knowing that when she arrives in Ireland she would be unable to access cannabis like in Spain and would be regarded a criminal if caught with it despite having a prescription for her cannabis use was just the first taste of returning to Ireland and our backward way of treating people who use cannabis.

Once back in Ireland then Alicia managed to source some Cannabis . The first bit of Cannabis she got was so bad you wouldn’t give it to a trash bin, hell it didn't even look like cannabis . (Pic 3 below. ) Another of the bit of Cannabis she got looked slightly better but she said it did nothing for her pain. (Pic.1 below) Then 1 sample she says she was lucky enough to source was good enough to help manage her pain but it wasn't as strong as what she would normally use back in Spain.(Pic 2 below)

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This is totally unacceptable that the Irish government is treating patients like this and putting them needlessly in harm's way. The current evidence supporting the use of cannabis for treating pain is more than what is needed for the government to allow health professionals to prescribe this plant and products from it to their patients. When the government announced the guidelines for the MCAP (medicinal cannabis access program) over 3 years ago there was outrage that chronic pain was not included. Now 3 years later and chronic pain is still not included and we see the results this has with patients like Alicia having to leave their home or stay in Ireland and rely on the illicit market to provide for them. Thats not much of a choice really , either way the patient and those around them will suffer all because of this failed prohibition of Cannabis!!

The government need to act on this now to stop the suffering and we the people need to continue to unite around this issue until the government acts. The support from the public on this issue is huge, just last month campaigners together walked over 2000km for the #BringAliciaHome campaign. 2000km is the distance between Cork and Alicante where Alicia is seeking medical refuge. Also over the summer campaigners marched/protested multiple times in support of Alicia and the other patients needing access to this plant. I was present at these marches/protests and the public who witnessed them take place showed their support too with cheers from passers by and car horns beeping as they passed too. Then there is also the #CivilDisobedience campaign which myself and others embarked on where cannabis plants were planted in public locations . Again overwhelmingly the feedback from the public was positive with the vast majority of people supporting access to cannabis for patients who need it and many even supporting the wider access for adult use.

PS: If you want to get involved and haven’t yet signed up to the Patients For Safe Access then head over and sign up now.

Chronic pain patient Alicia Maher returns home for a quick trip but is quickly reminded why she left

#CannabisReformIreland

#BringAliciaHome

#WeAreNotCriminals

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