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Jersey made the national headlines this month with the news cannabis-based products could be legalised for medical purposes - but one long-term campaigner for a cannabis use permit says she still feels the issue is being ignored.
Evelyn Volante, who is chronically ill, says she does not hold out much hope for the potential reforms and says that despite it being illegal, she will continue to use cannabis to alleviate her symptoms.
Pictured: St Helier resident Evelyn Volante, who says she has been using cannabis for medicinal purposes since 2005.
Ms Volante explained: “I started using cannabis in 2005 and I see an improvement using it."
She is currently trying to get a permit for her cannabis use, because she does not want to feel judged: "All I want is to be allowed to have my medicine and not be prosecuted," she said.
“I don’t hurt anyone; I don’t cause anyone any grief. I’m not a criminal but I’ve got to rely on criminals to get my medication”
Talking about her battle with the States for a permit, Ms Volante said she faces rejection, after rejection: "just rejection, rejection, rejection all the time," she said.
She says that both her, and her GP have appealed to Health Minister Senator Andrew Green on several occasions, and asked to meet with him, but she says her requests have been ignored.
She said: "I’ve invited him to have a discussion with me, come meet me, I’ve had no response back... they are ignoring me."
When asked what she would say to Senator Green or other members of the States if she could, Ms Volante replied: “Come visit me come see me in my home, see how I live”.
In an emotional interview, Ms Volante explained that she has to take 180 tablets a day for a variety of conditions, goes into the hospital twice a week for infusions and travels to the UK to see a specialist consultant every three months.
Describing her situation and the inability to legally get the medication that makes her feel better, Ms Volante said: "It’s crazy, its wrong, it’s humiliating, it’s demoralizing, it’s everything."
Pictured: A month's worth of the medication Ms Volante is prescribed.
Her condition leaves her unable to work and the high dosage of medication that she is prescribed makes her unable to lead a ‘normal’ life.
She said: "I don’t know from one day to the next what will be going on with my health."
Her daily struggles included a great deal of discomfort with recurring nausea, vomiting, spasms and poor intake of foods and fluids, loss of appetite and a severe loss of weight. But most of all, she has chronic, severe pain which she says cannot be relieved by more conventional medicines or treatments - hence why she turned to cannabis in 2005 as a means of coping.
Whilst Senator Green seeks further information about the usefulness of cannabis-based drugs before potentially drafting legislation, Ms Volante is not placing her hope in the possibility of changes. But she says, "I’ll get there, if I don’t die trying."
The Health & Social Services Department declined to comment.
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