Andrew Irving – Medical Cannabis | Helen Burnet MP | Adjournment Speech
I am proud to call Andrew Irving a friend. He grew cannabis at home to create a medical tincture and topical cream for his wife, Marilyn, to alleviate her excruciating pain when conventional treatments failed. Marilyn encouraged him to continue helping others after her passing.
Unfortunately, Andrew’s kindness was exploited, leading to severe charges and a challenging three-year court process filled with adjournments and significant legal costs. Recently, we learned that he will not face a custodial sentence, but his life remains in shambles.
Andrew has lost his life savings, suffered a fine of over $40,000, and dealt with the aftermath of an unjust system. His only motivation was to help others, and a person like him deserves compassion, not punishment. There is a GoFundMe campaign https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-a-pensioner-from-debt to support Andrew during this difficult time.
It’s time to reform outdated drug laws in Tasmania and treat drug use as a health issue rather than a criminal one.