Sir Patrick Stewart Becomes an Ally with Boy Who Depends on Medical Cannabis
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap]ccording to The Telegraph, Sir Patrick Stewart recently spoke out in support of Alfie Dingley, a six-year-old boy who relies on medical cannabis oil to control his severe case of epilepsy. Dingley has become the poster boy behind the effort to legalize medical cannabis in the UK, and now, with the help of Stewart, may lead the UK to a broader acceptance of medical cannabis.
The Dingleys would rather break the law then allow their young son to endure 150+ seizures per month.
“How could one not support Alfie?” Stewart told the Press Association. “Hearing what his life has been and the benefits given to him by being able to use medicinal marijuana. There has never been a stronger case for the legalisation of medical marijuana.” A year ago, Stewart admitted that medical cannabis helps with his debilitating arthritis.
Stewart takes advantage of California’s loose laws on cannabis, which enables him to have access to cannabis-infused topical. “I have been registered for medical marijuana in California for over three years and have found it immensely beneficial for my arthritis,” Stewart added. “I had to have eight steroid injections in my fingers and knuckles, which was about as painful as anything one could imagine, because medicinal cannabis is not available here.”
The Dingleys have been forced to travel to the Netherlands as medical cannabis refugees, not unlike American medical cannabis refugees who are forced to travel out-of-state. And now, the family is on the forefront of the medical cannabis movement in the UK.
Alfie’s parents Drew Dingley and Hannah Deacon have collected over 380,000 signatures on a petition that they handed to Number 10 Downing Street, the headquarters of the UK’s government. Stewart walked alongside the family with other supporters. The Dingleys received support in their efforts from other notable British figures as well, such as Sir Richard Branson.
Could the Dingleys be the final blow to the UK’s prohibition of life-saving medical cannabis? Only time will tell.
