Castlederg woman to fly medical cannabis to UK for epileptic son

By David Hunter

The mother of Billy Caldwell says she will openly 'smuggle' medicinal Cannabis into the UK today. 

The 12 year-old from Castlederg, Co.Tyrone,  suffers from a severe form of epilepsy. 

He received cannabis treatment in the U.S for several months last year after medical specialists in the UK said they couldn't help.

Doctors say the cannabis oil reduced the frequency of his Billy's dangerous and exhaustive seizures , which Charlotte Caldwell said happened hundreds of times per week.

He became the first person in the UK to be given a prescription last year. 

However, Home Office officials told Billy's Doctor to cancel the script last month, saying he could be struck off. 

Charlotte travelled to Canada last week, where the medicine is legal, as Billy's supplies ran out. 

She's told the Daily Mail she'll fly into Heathrow today with a six month supply and will beg customs to let her through. 

"I hate having to do this" she said to the newspaper.

"For a mother to be pushed into breaking the law to keep her son alive is horrendous. But this drug has given me hope and given my son back his right to life. 

"Of course I worry about breaking the law – but I want my son illegally alive rather than legally dead."