Growing support for medicinal cannabis by Melinda Reed Sorell Times, May 2018
Before mother and grandmother Libby Wiggins
passed away in January 2017 after a long illness,
medicinal cannabis helped reduce pain and
improve her quality of life.
“We used a mixture of hemp oil and cannabis oil
to relieve her joint pain plus I’d give her some
drops which would help with her anxiety and
breathing,” her husband Linly explained.
“We also used it in palliative care – it was a lot
better than the other drugs they give you,” he
said.
On Sunday 29th April, the day that would have
been their 46th wedding anniversary, Linly
gathered with family and supporters at Okines
Community House at Dodges Ferry to launch
Tasmania’s Little Green Trailer and promote
community education about medicinal cannabis.
Linly donated the trailer that the Medicinal
Cannabis & Hemp Tasmania group has fitted out
as an educational trailer for use in Tasmania.
Libby and Linly’s daughter Megan urged people
to talk about medicinal cannabis in a positive
way.
“To see her suffer and then see the relief and calm
after medicinal cannabis and see the mum we
knew again was really special,” Megan said.
Andrew Irving of Medicinal Cannabis & Hemp
Tasmania described how medicinal cannabis
eased his wife Marilyn’s spasms and pain after
just three weeks.
“It has to be a first priority, it cannot be a last
resort,” he urged.
A memorial on the rear of the trailer shows
Libby’s and Marilyn’s names and photos along
with others who have benefited from medicinal
cannabis.
The community education campaign aims to
spread awareness of the medicinal value of
cannabis and to de-stigmatise the “extremely
versatile, lifesaving” hemp plant.
The Country Women’s Association of Tasmania
have advocated for medicinal cannabis for more
than 12 years and have made hemp their food of
the year for 2018, encouraging members to learn
about using hemp in cooking.
CWA Tasmania president Lindy Cleland, of
Orielton, explained the long-standing CWA
support and about how much medicinal cannabis
is helping in her brother’s battle with a series of
brain tumours.
“Having known Libby I think she would be really
thrilled to know that this message is being shared
in supporting a wonderful cause,” Lindy said.
Even though medicinal cannabis is now legal for
doctors to prescribe under very strict conditions,
the tight restrictions and lack of awareness are
severely limiting availability to people in need.
Growing cannabis yourself, supplying it or using
it for non-medical purposes is still illegal.
Photo caption: (L-R) Andrew Irving of
Medicinal Cannabis & Hemp Tasmania and
Lindy Cleland of CWA Tasmania with Linly
Wiggins at Okines Community House, Dodges
Ferry, 29/4/2018.