Outcry over police raid on medicinal cannabis producer Jenny Hallam’s home at Hillier
UPDATED: A SOUTH Australian cannabis oil producer, who gives away her products free to ease the pain of the sick and terminally ill, says people she helps will die after police raided her property and seized equipment.
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A SOUTH Australian cannabis oil producer, who gives away her products free to ease the pain of the sick and terminally ill, says people she helps will die after police raided her property and seized equipment.
It is understood officers attended Jenny Hallam’s Hillier home on Wednesday morning and seized products and equipment related to the production of cannabis oil.
Ms Hallam, who has been a long-time advocate for medicinal cannabis, took to Twitter to tell her followers what had happened.
“I am a producer of free cannabis oil,” she wrote.
“I help (people) that (are) sick & dying and I have just been raided by the police.
“(People) will die (because) of this.”
Ms Hallam, 44, later removed the tweet and directed media requests to her lawyer, Heather Stokes.
Ms Stokes said Ms Hallam would be summonsed to court at a later date.
She said the incident raised the question of whether her alleged offence ought to be a crime.
“This is a woman who is doing it because people need it,” Ms Stokes said.
“There is scientific evidence out there to tell us it works. She doesn’t grow the cannabis she uses … (and) she doesn’t sell it.”
SA Police confirmed they had reported a 44-year-old Hillier woman for drug related offences.
“Further to this, police have seized a quantity of chemicals and other substances from the address which will be forensically analysed,” a spokeswoman said.
“Investigations are continuing.”
Under SA law, it is an offence to possess or have cannabis, including cannabis oil, for personal use and those caught with it face a maximum fine of $500.
Those who supply or administer cannabis face a maximum fine of $2000 and two years’ jail.
The Federal Government in November last year introduced legislative changes that pave the way for states and territories to legalise the use of cannabis products for medicinal purposes.
Under the changes, medicinal cannabis is available by prescription only and all other types of cannabis remain prohibited.
SA is yet to ratify the changes and is currently seeking public feedback on the move.
Greens MLC Tammy Franks said Ms Hallam should not have been targeted by police.
“I think it’s outrageous that someone who clearly isn’t a drug trafficker, who is trying to help sick people, is being treated this way,” she said.
“Those patients who she ... assists have been failed by the slowness of the health reforms.
“She’s not in this for a profit – she is in it to help people.”
Ms Franks said medicinal cannabis should be legalised in SA as a matter of urgency.
“It’s not a miracle cure but it is a cure that should be considered,” she said.
“For pain and palliative care alone, we know this works and we should be allowing access urgently, not delaying it any further.”
Whether SA should legalise medicinal cannabis has been a topic of debate for years.
In December, the Australian Cannabis Corporation announced a plan to create a medical cannabis industry base at Holden’s Elizabeth manufacturing plant once the carmaker closes in late 2017.
The organisation said the proposal would be worth $800 million a year and would create more than 2500 jobs.
The State Government said at the time that it was planning to meet with the group.