Jenny Hallam, a South Australian woman who has been supplying medical cannabis products throughout Australia for the past two years, is facing charges for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and the manufacture of a controlled drug.
For the past two years, Hallam had been a self-appointed supplier of medical cannabis to patients in need who were unable to access it due to the weeks-long waiting periods involved in getting a prescription of medical cannabis.
Australian police raided her Hillier, Adelaide home in January and seized the cannabis oil products she had been supplying to patients all over Australia for free.
Hallam is expected to appear in court on May 4 for the drug charges, but that does not seem to intimidate her in the least, according to an interview with The Huffington Post Australia.
This marks the second time the police have raided her home and seized cannabis products.
The first raid took place in 2014 and caused a significant uproar throughout Australia.
Cannabis campaigners and people who had benefited from her medical cannabis products were outraged by the government's decision to stop Hallam's efforts to ease the pain of hundreds of people.
Despite the fact that she had spent over $20,000 in the manufacturing of the cannabis oils for her patients, the government of Australia remained adamant that her actions were illegal.
The federal government had already announced this year that cannabis importation would be made easier and less time-consuming in order to benefit the patients.
Hallam is determined to continue her unlicensed production of medical cannabis products until a more efficient system to get the drugs to the people in need is put in place.
The cannabis producer promises to remain vocal and to continue her distribution of free cannabis even with the prospect of significant jail time looming on the horizon.
Demand for Medical Cannabis Increasing RapidlyThe demand for cannabis oil products rose from an initial 5 to 10 orders a day to up to 20 or more orders every day.
Hallam was bombarded with requests online and on the streets, sometimes even getting house calls from people in need.
The only regret she had was that she wasn't able to fully satisfy the demand for cannabis oil products.
As much as people looked up to her, she was in no position, physically or financially, to cater for every patient who came knocking.
Cannabis awareness is growing significantly in Australia.
However, as the benefits of the drug continue to improve its reputation in the medical world, its increasing popularity in the realms of dark web marketplaces continues to be a thorn in the side of the Australian authorities.
Solidarity for Hallam's CausePeople from all over Australia have come together to support her and to pressure the government into dropping the drug charges she is facing.
It is the first time she has been warned with tangible consequences but, like the rapidly growing numbers rallying for her innocence, she does not seem fazed.
Hallam believes that the Australian people are angry at the government, not because of its inability to provide medical cannabis but because of how difficult it is for patients to access it even when using the authorized channels.
Australia's health minister Greg Hunt addressed this issue in February, saying that the importation of cannabis in bulk would soon be a reality and it would solve the nationwide shortage of the increasingly-vitaldrug.
Despite promises of fast-tracking the import of cannabis products to Australia, caregivers remained skeptical and demanded a federal assurance to ease their cautiousness.
The end of the medical cannabis shortage in Australia is on the horizon, however.
The government has already harvested its first crop of homegrown medical cannabis this year, and although it might take a bit longer than anticipated, Australia will soon be able to satisfy the growing cannabis demand without relying on imports.
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