A serving police officer who uses cannabis oil to treat her terminally ill son has admitted to being “hypocritical” but insisted she does not regret her actions, saying: “I would rather my son be illegally alive than legally dead.”
Speaking to Jeremy Kyle for ITV’s The Kyle Files, the mother – whose identity was concealed – told how she was pressed into turning to cannabis as other treatments failed to alleviate his multiple tumours.
And despite the illegality of the police woman’s actions, firebrand Kyle confessed to being swayed by the mum’s ‘desperate’ situation and would “absolutely” consider taking similar action if his own children were faced with the same medical predicament.
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Introduced to Kyle by her cannabis oil supplier and campaigner Jeff Titchfield, the mother told how her son had endured surgery and radiotherapy until she decided to research alternative treatment.
“I just knew I couldn’t sit there and watch him die,” she told Kyle.
“So I started by rubbing it [cannabis oil] in, on the roof of his mouth.”
She continued: “I was worried, not that it would make him worse – because I spoke to several people it helped and cured – but I was just worried it might interact with other medicines.
“But within days, [we] just saw an improvement straight away.”
Neither medics nor her husband knew the mother was utilising cannabis oil until her son started to improve. With scans indicating a tumour was showing shrinkage, the decision was made to continue using cannabis oil.
The mother fully accepted she could be viewed as a hypocrite, having arrested people for possession during the course of her job.
But she also maintained medicinal use of cannabis oil should not be illegal and was resolute the risk was worth it.
“I knew I was faced with [possible arrest] when I started administering it to him,” she said.
She continued; “I would rather my son be illegally alive than legally dead.”
Kyle seemed deeply moved by the mother’s plight and despite witnessing dawn raids of illegal dens and cannabis farms elsewhere in the programme admitted to being influenced by the mother’s argument.
Highlighting how the mother jeopardised her career and kept her husband and the authorities in the dark, he told of his shock: “You’ve got to be pretty desperate to do that which gets me thinking – would I do that if my kid was in that position? Absolutely right I would.”
And at the end of the show, Kyle concluded consideration should possibly be made for medicinal use of cannabis oil – while still punishing drug dealers to the full extent of the law.
He summarised: “I thought that cannabis was a dangerous drug that should remain illegal.
“But after meeting people using it medicinally, it made me question whether I would do the same.
“We might not yet have enough proof about the health benefits, but one thing’s for sure: while it is illegal it is being made in underground farms by criminals who don’t care that skunk is causing psychosis because it makes them more money than the low potency stuff.
“Making this programme has made me realise the illegal drug trade is massive – and cannabis is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Many viewers were surprised but sympathetic to the mother’s circumstances.
Of course you would try cannabis oil for your child if they were terminally ill. I’m sure any parent would rather face jail time than bury their child. It just shouldn’t be illegal. #KyleFiles
— Ĵuαŋі© (@Juani983) March 5, 2018
#KyleFiles I was surprised a police officer was giving their child cannabis oil. It just goes to show, if it’s life and death circumstances, if something is supposed to help then people want to try it and wouldn’t settle if an opportunity was missed.
— snake (@snakefollower) March 5, 2018
I absolutely agree if my child (god forbid) ever got seriously ill them I myself would use cannabis oil to help my child id walk the earth bare foot to help him. So if cannabis helps pain get it legal it’s that simple #KyleFiles
— Heidi ☮ (@Heidiw26) March 5, 2018
Others felt the show was surprising on a wider level and reflected on their own experiences.
Did you watch #KyleFiles ? He is normally against cannabis & I’m sure it made him think & learn. Anything containing THC is illegal be it cannabis to smoke or the sort of oil Jeff was supplying. But CBD oil has gained in popularity and is legal.
— snake (@snakefollower) March 6, 2018
I have so many regrets with not pursuing cannabis oil for my terminally ill mum, I watch shows like this and just think ‘what if?’ Would she still be here? Maybe 😔 Especially now when I struggle with chronic pain and have been thinking of trying it myself….. #KyleFiles
— Kat (@xoSweetKxo) March 5, 2018
But not everyone was swayed like Kyle, even if they say potential benefits to usage, decriminalisation or legalisation.
I’m not a weed smoker, in fact I have zero interest in it, but it shouldn’t be illegal. Look at the states which have legalised it in the US, they make loads in tax. #kylefiles #TheKyleFiles
— Reno Says So! (@RenoXcore) March 5, 2018
Have to say, tonight’s #KyleFiles on @ITV is really intriguing covering cannabis. IMO, I’m still against decriminalising it.
— Jamie Murphy (@smurph25) March 5, 2018
Thankgod the government are not legalising weed, proven it doesn’t help with illnesses, giving it your child, when it can be dagerouse& addictive just like any other drug, don’t want everyone getting hold of it, it’s not safe, like shown on #KyleFiles
— Sashayyy🙈 (@SashhhWan) March 5, 2018
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The Kyle Files is on ITV, Mondays at 8pm.
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