Brisbane man with brain tumour turns life around with medicinal cannabis

A 23-year-old Brisbane man who endured years of debilitating symptoms from a brain tumour has a new lease on life with medicinal cannabis helping to reduce its size and ease the terrible side-effects.

A Brisbane man who endured years of debilitating symptoms from a brain tumour has a new lease on life with alternative therapies helping to reduce its size and ease the terrible side-effects.

Lanai Carter said her son Lindsay was diagnosed with a brain tumour and epilepsy aged 14 after “two years of sickness”.

She said Lindsay, now 23, has been able to “stabilise” his condition by taking an Australian Natural Therapeutics Group (ANTG) solace product, a vaporised cannabis that is helping to manage his “nausea, vomiting and serious anorexia”.

“(Lindsay) had been misdiagnosed for years – he was having a lot of nausea and was often vomiting first thing in the morning which was pretty alarming,” Ms Carter said.

Lindsay Carter with his mum, Lanai. Picture: Adam Head

Ms Carter said medicinal cannabis had been “really effective” in stopping post-seizure vomiting, reducing the number of headaches but also giving Lindsay back his appetite.

“Lindsay has gone from being anorexic and where doctors were really concerned to now being a normal, healthy weight,” Ms Carter said.

“(Medicinal cannabis) has helped to stabilise the brain tumour and reduce inflammation for quite a few years.

“His brain tumour is smaller now than when diagnosed and very stable for the last seven years.

“It is believed to be a type of astrocytoma based on MRI reports.

“The location of his tumour makes biopsy and surgery very risky as its in the area of the brain that controls language and learning.”

But Ms Carter said Lindsay, who was the first patient to be approved for schedule 9 medicinal cannabis in Australia, has found further relief from a combined treatment of both ANTG medicinal cannabis and Rocky Oil.

Lindsay Carter with a furry friend.

New research from the ANTG has revealed medicinal cannabis use is at an all-time high in Queensland.

Of about 250,000 approved scripts written, 51 per cent of those were issued in the Sunshine State, according to the ANTG, one of the largest growers of medicinal cannabis in the country.

Further new research revealed more than 40 per cent of cancer patients in Townsville are using complementary and alternative medicines such as cannabis.