FIGHT FOR LIFE
Who is Billy Caldwell, does cannabis oil help his epilepsy and what’s his mum Charlotte’s petition?
BILLY Caldwell is a severely epileptic boy who was left fighting for life after his cannabis oil medication was confiscated and later returned by the Home Office.
Billy - who has been diagnosed with intractable epilepsy - had to be rushed to hospital after suffering a severe fit following the withdrawal of his illegal medication, and his case has raised pressing legal questions.
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Who is Billy Caldwell?
Billy, from Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, suffers from intense and traumatic epileptic fits.
But his family say that after taking illegal high concentrate cannabis oil he had not had a fit in 250 days — until it was confiscated by the Home Office.
His mum Charlotte Caldwell travelled to Canada to purchase more of the oil after the Home Office initially banned Billy's GP from prescribing it.
Charlotte had said she would return to the UK with six month's supply of cannabis oil, but customs officers confiscated the oral drops at Heathrow Airport.
The oil was later returned to her after the Home Secretary Sajid Javid intervened.
Billy was discharged from hospital shortly after the treatment was administered.
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Does cannabis oil have medical benefits and why are some forms of it illegal?
High concentrate cannabis oil is illegal in Britain as it contains THC (tetrahydrocannabino), the psychoactive element in marijuana.
Lower concentrate versions of cannabis oil containing less than 0.05 per cent THC are legal and widely available in the UK.
A higher dose cannabis-based drug called Sativex has been licensed in the UK to treat MS. It contains THC and CBD (Cannabidiol).
Doctors are allowed to prescribe it for other things, but at their own risk.
Patients who resupply the drug to other people could also face prosecution.
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What is the petition to help Billy?
Billy's mum set up a petition entitled "A Cannabis Refugee".
It reads: "This petition has being set up to have "Billy's Law" Urgent Legalisation of Medicinal Cannabis passed in the North of Ireland, so I can bring my wee Epilepsy Warrior home safely, but also so that all our families and loved ones who desperately need this medicine can avail of it.
"Uncles, aunties, sons, daughters, grannies ........ people with Cancer, Epilepsy, Parkinson's, MS, Alzheimer's, Arthritis........ the list goes on .......
"Please folks sign and pass on to your family and friends to sign.
"Together we can make this happen!"
How did the Home Office react to her demands and what happens next?
On June 16, 2018, the Home Office issued a statement on behalf of Home Secretary Sajid Javid following the demands of Billy's mum.
He said: "This morning, I’ve used an exceptional power as Home Secretary to urgently issue a licence to allow Billy Caldwell to be treated with cannabis oil.
“This is a very complex situation, but our immediate priority is making sure Billy receives the most effective treatment possible in a safe way.
“We have been in close contact with Billy’s medical team overnight and my decision is based on the advice of senior clinicians who have made clear this is a medical emergency."
The oil arrived at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where Billy was being treated, on the afternoon of June 16, and he was discharged two days later.
Charlotte Caldwell said she now wants Billy to have the option of being treated with the cannabis oil at home.
She told Radio 4: "The fact that Billy has been discharged is testimony to the effectiveness of the treatment and underlines how vital it is that every child and every single family affected in our country should have immediate access to the very same medication."
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"I will demand that the health department, not the Home Office, takes responsibility for providing access to medication for these incredibly sick children - this meeting must take place within 24 hours."
It is unclear what will happen when Billy's 20-day licence for the cannabis oil expires - and if the Home Office will change its policy to allow him to continue to use the drug.
Meanwhile former Conservative leader William Hague has called for a "decisive change" in the law on cannabis, suggesting his party should consider legalising recreational use of the drug.
Jeremy Hunt hints cannabis oil will be legalised after Billy Caldwell epilepsy case
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