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Cannabis oil: Raided for helping their son

UPDATE: Cassie and Rhett have welcomed a health baby boy, Logan. They still have not been charged by police, however Cooper is still denied access to cannabis oil.

The Epping Sex Offences and Child Abuse Investigation team raided the family's Mernda home and seized all of the three-year-old's cannabis oil tincture, which he began receiving under doctor's supervision.

Cooper was born healthy, but contracted meningitis which left him suffering from hundreds of life-threatening seizures a day.

The family turned to the oil after Cooper did not respond to epilepsy medications and soon his seizures went from hundreds a day to two or three.

"Cooper uses his vision a lot more now than he ever has, he is more alert about his surroundings he's not crawling yet but he's close to it, he gets up on all fours"

"Without the cannabis oil we wouldn’t have our son today. We would be visiting him in a cemetery."

His father says without the cannabis oil he will deteriorate quickly.

"He will start having daily seizures anywhere from 30-40 a day and that will just increase as days go by," Rhett told Sunday Night.

Cassie and Rhett could face charges of possessing a drug of dependence and introducing a drug of dependence into the body of another.



They also fear they could have their son taken away.

The family was contacted by the Department of Human Services after the raid, requesting an urgent meeting to evaluate Cooper's care.

Heavily pregnant, Cassie was admitted to hospital with high blood pressure and acute stress.

"Child protection called to notify us they had received a report and demanded a meeting urgently," Cassie said.

They continued to call her on her mobile while she was in hospital.

The Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said the police were required to act on a complaint they had received.

"This isn’t easy, there is the balance to consider of a child and an illegal substance. When police are given information we have to act on it," he said.

Police did not seek any medical advice before removing Cooper's medicine and Mr Lay said they were unaware he had been under medical supervision while receiving the treatment.

"Other families have spoken out and haven’t had this happen. So we just feel a bit targeted you know," Cassie said.

Rhett told Sunday Night he didn’t regret speaking out about using cannabis oil.

"It needs to be in the public eye, it needs to be investigated more, tests, more formal tests need to be done, other than what’s been done in the states, and other countries."

"Australia needs to catch up on that and the right measures need to be put in place."

Write to your local and federal health ministers here.

A statement from the Minister for Community Services, Mary Wooldridge:

"As a parent, it is one of the hardest things in the world to see your child struggle with illness or disability.

In relation to this case, a police investigation is currently underway, so it would be inappropriate to make further comment.

Ensuring the safety and well-being of children is always the first and foremost priority. The aim is to keep families together, and this happens when parents can provide for the safety and well-being of their children, ."

You can write to Ms Wooldridge at Mary.Wooldridge@parliament.vic.gov.au