Olivia Newton-John meets with Tamworth medicinal cannabis advocate Lucy Haslam

UNITED: Olivia Newton-John, with Lucy Haslam, is sharing her firsthand experience using medicinal cannabis while undergoing cancer treatment. Photo: Supllied IT’S hoped the backing of a high-profile singer will help grease the wheels of medicinal cannabis access in Australia. Australian singer Olivia Newton-John has become the latest advocate for the drug, as she receives treatment for her second diagnosis of cancer. Ms Newton-John recently revealed she has been using cannabis as part of her treatment. The singer met with Tamworth’s Lucy Haslam and had vowed to take up the fight to make medical cannabis more accessible in Australia. “She’s very keen to get on board,” Mrs Haslam told The Leader. “She’s going to Canberra to talk to the health minister and the prime minister.”

“She’s Australia’s sweetheart and I’m sure the politicians will be all over her like a rash and I’m sure they won’t brush her off.” In recent TV interviews, Ms Newton-John spoke about the need to decriminalise further and giving GPs the ability to prescribe. Mrs Haslam hoped Ms Newton-John’s story would shift the focus back to patients. “The benefit to patients is getting overlooked at the moment,” Mrs Haslam said. Meanwhile, medical cannabis is top of the agenda for doctors at the Rural Medicine Conference in Melbourne today. It’s the major annual conference for rural doctors and will explore recent regulatory changes to the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, and consider clinical and prescribing issues for rural doctors. Originally published here: http://www.inverelltimes.com.au/story/4920225/medical-marijuana-gets-superstar-backing/