Green Light (2019) - full transcript

Yeah, I've been asked
to contact this young guy.

We're gonna get his exact
age and everything as we talk,

it's just part of the
data gathering process,

but I think he's 18.

This guy is 18 and
he's got bowel cancer

and he's had a bowel resection.

So for...

Do you mind if I just
grab this phone call?

Kid going wild in there.

Hello, it's Luke here.

Hello Luke, this is Tara.



I assume that you're calling me

looking for some
kind of assistance

-related to the
work that I do -yeah.

That George has
probably told you about.

- I need to tell her.
- Well, well my mum's been,

she's been given just
a little bit of time to live.

Can I, I just wanna,

you've caught me at a
at a really interesting time.

I'm making a documentary

about the difficulties
that people are facing

accessing medical cannabis

and why they have to come
and seek people like us out

and just the guys are
actually filming me right now.

Can I proceed to have
a chat with you now



while they're filming me?

How do you feel about that?

Okay, so I'll just grab some
notes here if you don't mind.

We just found out yesterday.

So if I start crying, then...

- It's okay.
- Yeah.

She's pretty young,
she's only 65.

I heard that there's
a cannabis oil

that is cancer-fighting

and then there's
another one as well.

I dunno the differences.

With the oils that we have,

be it CBD or THC
or a blend of both.

I need to let you
know that THC itself

can have some really
strong psychoactive effects

and some people find
that really unpleasant.

So I'm gonna ask
that we stay in touch.

Well my only like huge worry

is that she's in a
nursing home, like,

I'm just worried like if they
do a blood test or something,

It's gonna come back on us.

Are we going against the law?

Like I don't want to
go to jail, you know?

You could go through a process

called the Special
Access Scheme.

It does prove very difficult

for a lot of people
to access that.

That's why I exist.

Some people have often
passed away waiting for approval.

I can't promise you and I
think it would be really bad,

a duty of care for me to
do so is to promise you

that we can cure her cancer.

What I have seen is people's
cancers go into remission.

We've certainly had
doctors and oncologists say

that they've never
seen results like this.

And how soon do you think

we can get things from you?

It'll be a matter of days.

Okay, thank you so much.

- Okay, all right.
- All right, all right.

Okay, thanks very much.

- Thank you, bye.
- Okay.

It's my kid, hang on one second.

Hey darling.

Hi dad.

How are you, sweetheart?

I'm good, thank you.

Look, we started making
the documentary today.

- Hi.
- Hi.

This is Wild Rose. What
does Wild Rose think of

the hemp and the
cannabis revolution?

I think that it's a
really good idea

and that the government
is not very smart

for taking it away.

Hey, I'll give you a call.
Let's talk after school.

- Okay, bye.
- Have a great day.

- Bye.
- Bye.

I get up at about-00,- 30,

check my emails, check my texts.

Normally there's at least
three or four messages

from people that need help.

It's just so I can keep
track of who's got what.

How many names in there?

Most of them are either dying

or they've been told
they're gonna die

or they're in serious pain.

They can't handle
the opiates anymore.

And they've all been reading
about medicinal cannabis

and how it can help them.

If I just put my finger
in, he'll strike and bite

onto the end of it.

So I've gotta be
quicker than him

and let him know that
I'm the alpha creature

and then he'll submit.

There we go, now he knows.

Yeah, there we go.

He has submitted.

Give him a pat, give him a pat.

I sold my house and took a
year off to start this service.

I gave away medicine
completely free for a year.

Get off, get off.

Get off?

Quickly the service
grew to hundreds

and then thousands of people

and that meant that
I didn't really have

a day off for years.

Dude, come on now, serious?

Can I have it now?

I want to pet it.

There was a lot of
tension in our household.

My partner wore some
of the sideways effects

of not being able to
process that fully and myself.

Is that all done?

- Is what all done?
- Are you all done?

I'm not all done, but
you can come out with me

and we'll feed the
goats together, okay?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

I didn't really have
a day off for years.

I had no nine to
five boundaries.

Let's go, mate, this way.

Where are you taking us?

It could start as early
as between five and eight

in the morning and it would
finish most nights, 10 or 11.

Here they come.

Those are work
hours that I got used to

in the hospitality industry

when I owned multiple
hospitality ventures.

My boy wasn't getting the
time with me that he deserved.

So as he started to become
more interested in me,

I've made the changes necessary.

That's a 10 mil tube of CBD oil.

It's a pure hemp,
whole plant extract.

10 mils of that

comes in and around 260, $280.

I've got a pretty good
support network around me.

I've got a very loving and
caring partner who I confide in.

I've got three beautiful
daughters, my ex-wives,

and a little boy
about to be born.

But yeah, look,
there's highs and lows.

I got a text from a
woman yesterday

who's got a little kid
that's got epilepsy

and you know, they've been going

through years and
years of seizures

and one tube of that has
completely changed their life.

At the same time, I've
had to say goodbye

to quite a few patients.

You know, and you
definitely build up a rapport

with them on the phone.

I think it's just
made me stronger

and I'm a pretty tough
guy most of the time, yup.

I got an email
about two weeks ago

from a gentleman
that was referred to me.

I explained to him the process

and costs that were involved

and he said to me, "I can't
afford anything like that.

I don't really have much money."

And I said, "I'm really
sorry to hear that."

I said, "Look, can you
send me a photo of yourself

and the tumor so we
can have a look at it?"

So he sent me a photo

and that's the photo.

When I saw that,
my heart just sank.

How can this guy walk around

feeling like that
and looking like that?

I mean, could you imagine
walking into a shop or,

you know looking at
your partner or your family

having this horrible growth
on the side of your head?

So I forwarded that onto Luke.

Good day, see you later.

- Hey Lukie.
- How are you, man?

- Good.
- I've got one I've got one

for topical and
one for internal.

- Okay.
- I don't wanna actually

do the application.

I give people suggestions

and then they decide
what to do with it.

Yeah, I think that's
a really good idea.

Okay, well do you
wanna give me a call then

when you're just coming
past the cop shop?

All right, see you soon.

I started hairdressing
when I was 15

and then embarked on
a pretty successful career

as a freelance hairstylist
and makeup artist.

But compared to what I do
now, it wasn't really fulfilling.

I felt this calling to get
out there and help people.

If I put it up here,

it might go in his ear.

Yeah, no, you don't
want it running off.

It's a precious and
expensive medicine, so.

Just tell me if it hurts.

It doesn't hurt.

They're saying there's
no nerve endings

on the tumor.

So it's taken you a
couple of years to find us?

Yeah because it's an
unsightly looking thing,

I don't go out during the day.

But if I do go
anywhere, it's in the car

and I usually have
a bandage over it

that I tape on.

And yeah.

So it's like the house
becomes like a prison for me.

It does bleed quite profusely.

I don't know if he knocks
it or whatever, but like quite

-a substantial amount of
blood -yeah, sometimes I pick

- at it and it bleeds.
- Will come out.

That's the only time it bleeds.

- It's my fault.
- When's your mum back?

15th I think.

- 14th.
- 14th?

Well, I haven't seen a doctor
for a couple of years now.

Yeah, the main one
was the oncologist.

It was straight into
hospital, chop it off.

He wouldn't even
look at the information

I took out there about
other possible treatments.

It was a terrible
experience going up there.

The room was just
packed with people,

mainly older people and yeah,

they just all go
through the burn,

poison or cut procedure.

I understand and
respect that you said that.

At this point,
you're not open to it.

-Look, but if you do, -Yeah?

I guess it would be
valuable to find a doctor.

I have seen good results across
a broad spectrum of therapy.

So just so you know
that there are those things

- available to you.
- Okay.

I'm gonna do this.

Yeah, exactly.

Beautiful, perfect.

So what we'd ask of
you is to keep a diary

about the effects
that you are feeling

and we just monitor
you as we go along.

Okay, thanks so
much for having us.

Yes, thank you.

- Thanks, Luke.
- Really appreciate it.

- Yeah, thanks Nick.
- Your welcome.

- Lovely to meet you.
- No fuss.

- Thanks fellas.
- You're welcome.

That's heavy.

You did that really well.

Oh, what's that fucking smell?

- What is that?
- It's foul.

Oh, is that me or you?

Tell me it's you, tell
me it's you not me.

Yes, it's you.

I have to remain really neutral

about the potential health
outcomes that can happen here.

I don't get myself excited.

As you see, I'll try
and be really clear

about what the boundaries are

because otherwise I'm
carrying this person's excitement

in my own being and hoping
this amount of hope, you know?

And then I know so many
people that have died now.

Hi, how you doing?

Good, good.

This is a strategic
meeting in support

of compassionate access schemes

for medical cannabis patients

to be able to care
for themselves.

We've got lawyers and doctors,

we've got people
like us, providers.

So I'm looking forward to
seeing what comes out of this.

It's an exciting meeting
because there's been a lot of talk

and not a lot of action
and we're all sick of it.

So what I've got here is a
summary of how you as a patient

can get access to
medicinal cannabis

in other jurisdictions
around the world.

Because there are
so few steps in this,

I actually had room
to put in the flags,

the national flags as well.

Okay, Lucy, can you
explain in 30 seconds

what we have to do in Australia?

It took me a while
to get that open.

I need someone maybe to hold

- the bottom of it.
- Sure.

So these are the steps

required in Australia for a
patient and a GP to collaborate

to access medicinal cannabis

Probably 40 new inquiries a day,

about 1000 a month.

We were at that point in time,

getting hundreds
of inquiries a day.

Everyone's phones ringing

with these desperately
confused patients.

Clearly patients need to be able

to afford the medicine that
they're being prescribed.

There's already a
significant cost barrier

for people approaching us.

They actually say
that medicinal cannabis

has to be last line therapy.

The whole system
contradicts itself

in terms of who's
getting access.

We provide it for free, we've
never turned anyone away.

My patient with cancer
has to be on the opiates.

And only when that fails,

why not medicinal
cannabis being first-line?

When legal doesn't
mean available,

- then illegal means nothing.
- Absolutely.

2018 is gonna be a scrappy year.

There's been a lot of voyeurism,

people standing on the edges

waiting to get involved
when it's convenient.

That's probably why
we're at where we're at,

which is nowhere.

The room where my mentor died

was where that end
light is still on there.

He had cancer, but he
taught a lot of us how to live.

The promise that I
actively made to him

was that I will always
give part of my life

in loving service to
other beings around me

and you know so
help me if I don't.

And he said, "No worries.

I'm absolutely gonna
hold you to that."

I wanna read out some
of the texts that I got

in the last few days.

Some of the emails that
I got in the last few days

and just try and help people,

to see what it would be like

to receive this
every day of your life.

One after the other, after
the other, after the other.

You know, I've been told,

we shouldn't this
an emotional issue,

we should be very
reasonable about it

and always be diplomatic.

Well fuck, really?

What have we got, buddy?

We've got cherry tomatoes,

capers, onions, chili, garlic,

olive oil, lemon zest

And that is going to be mixed

with some smoked trout

and some fresh parsley

and a little tickle.

I mean, there's a reason why
we've been going this long.

It's not because of me,
it's because of Luke.

I do get pretty hectic,
don't I at times?

Yeah, he does get hectic

but I mean, what we
do is pretty stressful too.

You know, there's a lot of,

there's a lot of stress
involved, you know?

Basically what we've
done is we've taken on

a responsibility now,
a responsibility of care,

- of a duty of care.
- A duty of care.

- A Real duty of care.
- And it's, you know,

it's probably in the tens
of thousands of people.

So I suppose that's pretty
incriminating that comment,

- but it's true.
- Well that's between us

and the organizations
that we directly relate with.

Yeah, it's not just us,

but you know, it's
you know, it's yeah.

There's a large network now.

With you all cautious,

what are some frustrations
for you with Nick?

There's an element of caution

that I sometimes have felt Nick

wasn't fully aware of, what
I would call carelessness,

but he's really just an
enthusiasm to normalize this

into something
that's good and okay.

The way that I communicate
with patients is all,

I'm pretty open about it at all.

That's amazing.

- Yeah...
- Restaurant quality?

Oh yeah.

Lukie, what do you
think is gonna happen?

What do you thinks gonna happen

when we finished
making this film?

It's gonna go to cinema,

it's gonna go to TV,

people are gonna watch it.

Local police stations
are gonna see it.

What's gonna happen?

Well thanks for bringing up

the terrifying potential
of this film, mate.

Should we paint our
cars like camouflage

so they can't see us
when we drive around?

I questioned the
wisdom of doing this film

when we may be on the cusp of,

I mean, it's kinda
like doing a story

on how bad East Germany

is a month before
the Berlin Wall fell.

Like in myself, I'm
sitting here thinking,

all right, why the fuck
are we doing this again?

Okay, all right.

Why it is is because if
people could access this stuff

in a safe, legal and
preferably affordable manner,

they really gonna
come and hunt us down

on the other side
of the country?

Rubbish, they gonna
go to their doctor,

they're gonna get a script,

they're gonna go
and get the stuff.

Like for me, I'm not
attacking the police

or the politicians.

I know I think the
real problem lies in

far larger business interests

that set the game here

and set the rules and
that the players in it,

we can easily blame them.

Ah, it's the cops or
it's this or it's that.

I think that's rubbish.

I think that they're as much a,

a symptom of a problem as we are

a symptom of a problem as well.

Look man, I was just
born and bred in nature

and when I come
to a big city like this,

I just don't know
how people do it.

I reckon that they
probably think the same

about where I live

and we all just get used
to whatever we're given,

but look at it, there's like
20, 30 stories of people

just stacked up on
top of each other.

And we're just getting green,

we're getting green lights
all the way through here.

I think the universe is telling
us that we're onto something

with a name for this
documentary, "Green Light".

It's fucking pissing down.

If there's anything
that's too incriminating,

I've got a really tight time.

I'm just really stoked
that you've allowed me

to come and have
a chat with you.

Are they fucking
recording already, bro?

- That's all right, okay.
- Yeah.

My physical medical condition,

it's a degenerative
bone condition, genetic.

So I was born
supposedly with you know,

- multiple fractures, yeah.
- Multiple fractures

- from the birthing process?
- Yeah.

All right and do you remember

from when you're really young?

Yeah, yeah, just
always breaking bones.

You know on my
chair the other day,

just like tipped
over out of nowhere

and I knocked my head
and in that split second,

I was like, okay, am I
gonna be able to walk again?

Am I gonna you know, have
to go to get an ambulance?

- Did anything break?
- Nah,

like a couple of ribs,

but no breaks, just fractures.

Like it happens all the time.

There's like lots of reasons
why people look at me.

Well, there's only one
reason it's cause I'm different.

They'll take a second glance

and can be a bit
preserving at times.

- That's all.
- Sure.

So I get a little bit of
social anxiety, if you will

and I've, yeah.

I've been diagnosed with PTSD

and all that sort
of charge as well.

- Wow.
- Yeah.

Basically I keep a
packet of Endone

which is oxycodone around.

Lyrica and Endone and Temazepam.

They're effective in what
they target and what they treat,

but you pay a toll for them.

- You know?
- Okay.

So I always feel like

I've just got cotton wool
wrapped around my brain.

I've given you some CBD oil.

I hope that you will be
able to put aside other things

to a large degree

and only use them when
absolutely necessary.

Yeah, that's my hope too, man.

Don't let yourself
get pushed around.

Yeah, no, you woke up my wife.

She's pretty upset.

- Anyway, sorry about that.
- No, I'm sorry about that.

So you've got three,

you've got three
tubes there, right?

- You've got three syringes?
- Yup.

The large one is the CBD.

- Yup.
- Okay, which is the

non-psychoactive cannabis oil.

The CBD, I'd suggest that
you take that two times a day.

That's what I needed
tonight last night.

- Yup, yup.
- Day and night, what to do.

Okay, you can
also vaporize that.

So if you want vaporizer,
I can send it up to you.

That's what I'm saying.

This is a trial only

based on

and they're the best
in our community.

- Okay, great.
- But they saved my life,

- I shouldn't be here.
- Okay.

Technically, I should've
been gone seven years ago.

Hey mate, I've
actually gotta go.

I've got two other
appointments that are booked

and I've gotta
talk to right now.

- Yup.
- Just...

Spend a couple of days
on it, see how you feel,

and give me a call
back in a couple of days

and just give me
a bit of a rundown

on how they're working for you.

Please don't give up.

And also unless anybody
or anything goes wrong,

your wife's got
the phone number,

please ring me because
I will ring everybody.

And they know even if
need be to get you out,

so I can break my fucking um,

what do you call
when you get old?

My pension to
try to get you out.

Oh, that's very sweet, mate.

Thanks, I hope it
never gets to that.

No, but I'm just saying
if some fucking low life

decides to be a
shit in your area,

we're there for you,

- if you know what I mean?
- Thanks mate.

Yep, thank you very much.

- Bye.
- Okay, bye mate.

I mean I feel for him.

You know, he got run
over by a postal truck.

You know, he was
a champion sailor,

active member of
his community and he,

he got run down.

So he's a paraplegic

but still has all
the nerve endings

and still feels all the pain.

Definitely a lot better for
you than taking opiates.

Right, I've gotta
make another call.

Would you mind if
we just keep rolling?

Yeah, no, go for it.

Man, it's like this, hey...

Hey, it's like this
everyday, mate.

All right, give us a
call back, thanks man.

- Is this good?
- Which way do you

wanna go though,
should we take her up

through the mountains?

Yeah, the back way or?

Well there'll be definitely no
cops if we go the back way.

Yeah, my air con kind of works

and then it doesn't work.

So just give it a minute,
it should kick in again.

Fucking hell.

I think our families
are really concerned.

I know they are, both our
partners are concerned.

I mean you know,
they both love us,

they both believe
in what we're doing

but at the same time, you know,

we've both got young children.

You know, I've got
three beautiful daughters

and they all need me.

And a baby on the way

and you know there's
no way that my partner

wants to raise a baby
whilst I'm incarcerated.

I mean that thought's fucked.

Look at that, mate, I
told you we'd make it here

if you just go that way.

I've got a lot going
on in my head, mate.

- Huh?
- I've got a lot

going on in my head.

I've got fucking four
different conversations

going on at once.

I've got fucking
three sick people

trying to get hold of me,
I'm trying to organize this,

pull off a fucking interview.

Well, I get you are.

Just put them aside,

I've got fucking all
those people as well.

All the dying, I get it,

but you gotta put 'em aside.

- Are we gonna have oil?
- No.

- Are you gonna take it?
- No.

Okay, turn around.

- Yum.
- Good job.

You love your oil, don't you?

More.

You want more?

Can I give you
the last little bit?

- Good job.
- Awe, mate.

Thank you.

- All done, thank you, Hunter.
- A pretty good effort, mate.

Hi, Danielle, your
friend posted an article

on your son on my CBD page

on Facebook and brought
your son's story to my attention.

I supply people with
CBD and THC oils

and if this is something
that you've considered,

I'd be happy to help you.

I suggest you speak
to your doctors first

and see what they say.

Please be reassured that we have

the best quality organic oils.

Thanks, Nicholas.

And then your response was,

"Nicholas, thank
you for your message.

We're seven months
into my son's treatment

and his tumors are getting worse

and are now desperately
looking for other options

to combat this, so I'm
definitely interested in this.

We have an appointment next
week with Hunter's oncologist

and we'll find out
what they suggest.

Thank you so much."

I put my hope into the oil but,

you know, what else can you do?

Your child's on chemo

and it literally
was our last resort.

So if it didn't
work, it didn't work.

What happened with
the tumors growth?

We had a terrible
result in his MRI,

has tumors were growing
at an exponential rate.

His oil was started, his next
MRI, his tumor had shrunk.

And the MRI a month later,

his tumors were
almost almost gone.

You wouldn't say he was
even going through chemo

because he was just that normal.

After the chemo cycle,
we kept him on the oil,

our oncologist said,
"Keep him on for a year,

take him off, see what happens."

We weaned him off the oils

and he had his next MRI

and tumors had
started growing back.

So we put him straight
back onto the oil.

Three weeks later,
he had another MRI

and his MRI was clear.

You can't tell me that
the oil hasn't done that.

What was the
worst case scenario?

Hunters eyes would
have been removed,

- both of them.
- Right.

I mean, we had a
checkup with his oncologists

a few weeks ago.

He said, "If somebody
had given him a bet

for a million dollars

to say Hunter would
be where he is today,

he wouldn't have taken that."

Are you planning on continuing
taking the cannabis oils?

If we have to sell houses
and cars and we'll do that.

Let's let them not get to that.

Yeah, let's not.

You just need a bigger garden

and we can show you
how to make your own.

It takes courage
to break the law

and to give your child,
you're very, very young child

- an illicit substance.
- Yeah.

I mean, you took a punt on me.

And I'm glad I did.

Yeah, well I mean
you could have also

just reported me straight
to the police as well saying,

there's this guy
stalking me on Facebook

trying to sell me pot

'cause you know, I did
feel a bit weird about that,

but at the same time
when I read that story,

you know like I
said, I've got kids,

and I can only just put myself
in your position and think,

my God, how would I feel?

- That me.
- That is you.

That's when you
were sick, isn't it?

Ah, there's one of you.

You're not sick
anymore, are you?

- No.
- Your eyes are good now,

- aren't they?
- Yes.

Okay, cool, all right.

You have a good day.

Thanks Mark, bye.

I was so drained
yesterday, mate.

I was so cooked after,

like the four
consultations that I did

yesterday were just...

I mean, two of them are
just fucking heart breaking.

Bit that I find tough is
that quite a lot of the people

that I speak to are actually,

there's a good chance
that they're gonna die.

And I think you need
to be really careful

what you say and how you say it

to a dying person
and their family

- Good girl.
- Good girl.

Looks like it's black, but
it's actually really green.

All right, Allymae,

did I give you
that little band-aid?

Yeah.

I'm gonna put this on your nose.

She might go back a little bit,

but she should be okay.

Good girl.

Let's give her a
little bit of that CBD.

I think you should
give that to her

- Okay.
- And just put it

on your finger, put
it in on her gums.

Good girl, good girl.

Here you go, it's a good dose.

And I'll get you a
smaller tube of this

and we'll just start
giving it to her daily.

I think it'd be
really good for her.

Good girl, Manuka, come on.

So what we did then is
we applied the THC oil

directly onto the tumor.

The CBD, we gave it
probably twice as much

as what you'd give
a human for a dose.

But I mean, if you look
at the size of a horse

compared to the size of
human, that makes perfect sense.

The CBD is gonna work
exactly the same way

as it works in humans.

It would be good if you
can keep a diary of it

so we can and
keep photographing it

- so that we can...
- Yeah, yeah.

We can show the
people if it works or not.

- I'm pretty sure it will.
- Yeah, I've been

taking photos every day.

Yeah, good.

And you can actually
see a reduction

in the size of the lump itself.

- Already in five days?
- Yeah.

Just it's not a
massive difference,

- but yeah, just yeah.
- It's shrinking.

- A small amount, yeah.
- Yeah, cool.

Not gonna buck me off, are you?

If he going us?

I don't know.

They did clock the camera
before I saw the guy at all.

- They did what?
- Clock the camera.

So they might just be...

I'm not sure what that is, yeah.

What are we filming guys?

A nature documentary.

We can turn off
early if you'd like.

I'm just wondering
where that cop is

and if he's still behind us

and don't believe he
is, I think he's pulled off.

He's gone?

Yeah.

No, I think he's gone.

I would just...

Whenever I see
police when I'm driving,

I get like a,

almost like a slight
hypoventilation and I feel,

I think, oh have I got
any medicine in the car?

I just notice right then
when a police car drove past,

I had a card that had
medical cannabis advisory

written on it and
if you get pulled up

and that's visually seen,

then there's due
cause to search the car.

I try and always remember
the police are very human,

we're all humans.

Everything's you know,

that they're not out on a
witch hunt particularly for me,

but it's hard to tell
my subconscious that.

Are your hand's shaking a bit?

They are shaking.

They were yes, my
hands were shaking

and now I'm getting
everything under control again.

It's like he's got a
bloody rubber band

around the bowel.

He can't physically eat
anymore without vomiting.

We have to wait
two an a half months

so he can actually
see a specialist.

It had turned to the size
of a fucking mandarin.

There's a tumor the
size of a mandarin

grown in a month?

Yes.

Wow, I'm gonna make sure

that you get some CBD

to help him stay calm
and do some other things.

The THC is
vaporizing or smoking.

So lung induced, then
there's oral administration

and then there's actually
rectal administration.

You're going to get the
best outcome possible

if he can take it as a
suppository and orally as well.

Sugar, process meats, alcohol,

tobacco need to,

they need to see the
back of those ASAP.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, thank you.

- All right, see you later.
- I appreciate your help.

- My pleasure.
- Bye.

Hearing things like bacon
and coffee for breakfast

and cigarettes and
all that kind of stuff.

I need to be as encouraging
as I can with people

to really clean it up.

I starting using
cocaine really heavily

you know, like a gram a day,

that was just everyday

and that particular
drug has the capacity

to hollow you right out.

You know I think it an
enormous amount of motivation

and dedication to be
a full scale drug addict

on the level that I was.

We'd often party all night,

bottle of tequila, 10
pills, snort, whatever,

have an hour sleep or none
at all and then get into work,

and cook 50 different menu
items in an open kitchen

blazed out of our minds.

I just didn't stop.

I'd be in the
bathroom having lines,

I'd be under the
bench having lines,

I'd be at home having lines.

I'd wake up in the
middle of the night

and have lines and
go back to sleep.

Was a wrecking ball
for my relationship.

She worked with me
and ran the restaurant.

Cocaine helped us to
really toxify our relationship

to the point it was
just horrendous

and now I think the only
way we put up with each other

was by snorting the day away.

The idea of suicide
crept in somehow.

I realized that I simply was
never really afraid of death.

Death wasn't an issue
for me, fucking life was.

I scoured a liter of tequila

and I ate three grams of cocaine

and then I ate about 80 Valiums.

So I laid back and
just fell back into a void

and then I woke up
with my dad shaking me

and looking me in the face

and tears running down
his face and saying,

you know, he's like he just
looked at me and he said,

don't fucking go there.

Having been a
pretty broken person

and then learning
how to fix myself

with the care and
support of others,

it was my duty to go and
give that to other people.

We've got these 10 foot high,

this vine and this
is the base of it,

the base of it here

and that's on my sons placenta

and I'm so stoked to
see that, that's so cool.

A lot of people plant a
tree on their child's placenta.

This vine's known as
the vine of the souls.

So in helping to saving my soul,

planning this vine on
my sons placenta here

in a place of healing and
magic for peoples of this land,

the indigenous peoples,

there's a lot of
symbolism in that for me

and this tree here has
survived against all the odds

and that's how I
see the human spirit

and I would like those
attributes for my son.

To have a great deal
of strength of character

and survival instinct

and to be tall and
strong in this life.

Hi, Angela, how
are you doing today?

Hi, I'm not too good today.

I'm a bit down in the dumps.

Yeah, I'm sorry to hear that.

Have you already
started undergoing

chemotherapy or radiation?

This is my third week.

- Right.
- And then, sorry.

Okay, yeah I'm listening, go on.

And then I'm on
vitamins one and two.

Okay.

Then I'd like to introduce a
combination of THC and CBD.

Thank you very much for that.

You're welcome, darling.

All right, well,
we'll speak soon

and I'll email you tonight.

You just send me your email.

All right.

Ted, you going?

Yeah, good man.

So the CBD, you take it
two to three times a day

like a large rice grain
under the tongue?

Yeah, I've only,

I can only do it
morning and night

'cause I can't take it to work

because I don't have
you know a fridge at work

or anything, so.

Yeah, I have a feeling
it's gonna help you, mate.

Yes.

Have a great day,

lots of love and
we'll speak soon.

I experimented with the
harder drugs at an early age.

You know, LSD and a
bit of speed here and there

in the late 80s.

I started using heroin
when I was my mid 20s.

Was pretty lucky
to survive that.

I spent I'd say maybe
three or four years off and on

using that stuff.

I had a couple of
really close calls.

I OD'd three times.

I was clinically dead twice.

And ambition sort of
pulled me out of that.

And when I moved to the
States, I sort of gave it all away

and left that sort of
part of my life behind me.

But I'm sort of glad that
I went through that now

because it's given me a
really good understanding

on addiction and how people
cope with giving up opiates.

This is my other mum.

We're gonna talk about
why you needed to see me.

Lucky I've got you for son.

The problem I have is here.

Just sort of tells the story

of what my poor little
backbone looks like.

So you can see there's
some pretty serious stuff

going on with her spine.

They recommended
oxycodone, Endone and Targin,

which was quite a
cocktail, made me pretty ill.

I think the worst part of it

was that it put my
plumbing to sleep.

It was humiliating
to say the least.

I've always been
a pretty forthright,

pretty strong sort of a person.

So I was never used to
having people do things for me.

After 12 months on those drugs,

I was advised that if I
just stopped taking it,

it would be a
little bit difficult.

That was a big understatement.

It was horrendous.

It took me 10 days,
I was in cold sweats,

I was saturating my bed
every night, I had hallucinations.

But right now, I might
not even take that THC

because my pain gets bad
if I'm moving, if I'm bending,

Which you do a lot,
you're very active.

Yeah, you were on the
phone to me everyday,

seeing if it was working
for me and it was working,

- I was up on my feet...
- How long did that take?

Do you remember?

Like from the time that you
took it to the pain stopping.

The pain stopped
within about 15 minutes.

So I don't have to employ
somebody to push me around

in the wheelchair and be
embarrassed and humiliated anymore

- and I'm not in pain.
- Yeah.

And if you don't
know how the hell

you're gonna stop
the pain you're in,

that is pretty scary.

What about losing your supply?

- How does that make you feel?
- That is even scarier

and one of the reasons
why I don't want to be filmed,

I don't want my name mentioned,

I don't want anybody to
know where I live or who I am.

If it makes you feel any better,

I've buried a bunch of
it in the garden for you.

So if I do get taken away,

I'll just send you a letter
and tell you where it's buried.

I feel tragically
sorry for people

who can't access it or
who've been indoctrinated

into thinking there's
something wrong with it.

And I was skeptical,
but I was in pain.

So thank you for giving me
the last year of my life back.

- My pleasure.
- 'Cause it's pretty precious.

World needs people
like mum definitely.

So what I tend to do
is once I get my supply,

is put it in a syringe for
safekeeping with a stopper on it

and then I've just
put a drawing up

which is a blunt needle,

so it's not a sharp,
it's not gonna hurt you

and we're going to
give on your finger.

We're gonna give
a couple of drops.

You can do that finger, are you?

Yeah and then
that'll just come out

drop by drop so I can
monitor how much he's getting.

- Ohh.
- Whoops.

There you go, four drops.

That's a lot, yeah.

And he's gonna rub that under,

in the sides of his mouth

and he'll hate the taste.

He'll screw that up.

- It's not great, is it?
- No.

It's one of the less
pleasant things.

Their diagnosis was stage four.

- Yeah, okay.
- Yeah.

When Sandy asked, so
what are we talking, years?

And she said, no, months,

and I've sort of gone, shit.

It was like a big
kick in the guts.

So we took three
days just to digest it.

And then it was, for me,

it was full on let's
research the fuck out of this.

I need to know, you know?

And I didn't care whether
it was conventional or not.

You wondered what would work,

- what would save him?
- I wanted to know,

- yeah, yeah.
- So we just threw

everything at it.

Did a lot of research on dosing

and it's said to start with
one drop for four days

- and then go to two drops...
- Start low, go slow.

Yeah, the start low, go slow.

And I said, "Sorry, fuck
the go slow process.

You going to a mil
and a half today."

We just went, boom.

And what had happened
when you got those scans?

Left side around into here

had gone from 18 or 20 tumors

down to less than five.

Okay, significantly.

How did that feel being a nurse?

I have asked every
oncologist that we've been to

and I've asked GPS,

can we get a script,
can we get a script?

No, sorry, I don't feel
comfortable doing that.

It's legal for chemotherapy
side effects, you know?

-So for nausea,
vomiting, -That's right.

But it's not for treatment.

I did actually say to
the radiation oncologist

can I have a script?

And she said, "No, no well
you don't fit in the category,

you haven't got cancer anymore."

Now that you technically
do have cancer again,

sorry to bring it up
again, but what's,

what would be the outlook then?

It's still the same,
they don't do it.

Because you're not
undergoing chemo.

He wouldn't be going
undergoing chemo.

And we dropped down
to maintenance dosing,

which was really quite minimal

'cause again, you
know, finances really...

This is a big issue,

- isn't it?
- Yeah,

- it's expensive.
- It's expensive on that note,

I also wanted to donate a
bunch of oils to you guys

so that you can take on a,

you know a bit more
of a full scale approach.

I understand how
difficult it gets for people

to service this
kind of thing, so.

I don't feel like,

I'm absolutely wanting

and welcoming and
appealing for assistance,

of better trained
professionals to step in

and be able to
help these people.

And at the moment,
I feel like we're a bit

of a one-stop
shop for this issue

and this issue shouldn't
be a one-stop shop.

You need counselors,
you need prescribers,

you need people
then that dispense it,

you need people that grow it,

you need people
in manufacture it.

You need so many
different people that I'm not,

and I don't know if
anyone's truly equipped

to deal with speaking
to endless cases

of people that can't
get what they need

and have those really
difficult decisions to face.

I just, you know, part
of me is a voice in my,

an inner voice that says,

one you're doing
really wonderful work

and another voice
that says, well, I mean,

I'm not the guy for the job.

I'm just giving in

'cause fucking hell.

Hey darling, how you doing?

Still just in pain

'cause I don't have
anything to sort of

help me get through the day.

I'm gonna make sure that you
get some things, that's okay.

I hate hearing you like this.

We'll get things
done in the morning.

I'm sorry, I don't
meant to like bother you

on a weekend and stuff,

but I'm just like
really, really struggling.

Are any of the pharmaceutical
meds doing anything to help?

You know, what are you taking

- of those at the moment?
- Like Endone a little bit

but I can't just
keep taking opioids.

So that's why like I'm
considering hysterectomy

because nothing else is helping.

Do you feel like
the oils have had

had any significant
benefit to you?

- Like, even in the short-term?
- Oh huge.

Helps with my anxiety,
helps with my heart racing,

helps me sleep.

As far as a hysterectomy goes,

I mean you're aware of
what that means for your

- around?
- Well it means

we can't have kids and I'm 23.

It means you can't, yeah.

I mean that's a huge choice
for a 23 year old to make.

I mean just for me to
feel that you're saying that,

if that and that means
you can't have kids,

I mean, that brings
up a lot for me,

let alone what it
must bring up for you.

Yeah.

Look, I need to get to a point

where you just don't
know what else to do.

Yeah.

So I don't have the words really

to actually express
how that decision

that you're looking at
makes me feel and...

And I hope you find
strength wherever you can.

- Talk to you soon, bye.
- All right,

we'll talk tomorrow.

- See you, Luke.
- Okay.

All right.

Anyway, anyway.

Can we cut for a tick?

Can we just, just for
a tick, is that all right?

I just, just...

With Aikido, you
can do it physically,

just basically as a technique

or you can unify mind and body

and use that person's
power and energy.

For that, you've gotta
be centered yourself.

You don't need
physical strength.

You can do all kinds of things

that don't require
physical strength.

So there's a whole
bunch of tests that we do.

We use an arrow, so here.

So this is very daunting

and we're gonna
break this arrow.

So from there,
unify mind and body,

you relax, you move forward.

Looks easy, it is.

But if you don't get taught
how to move properly

and use your energy
properly, this can be a bit tricky.

So don't try it at home.

I had a red spot on my forehead

which I couldn't get rid of.

So I went to my
GP, he did a biopsy,

and it came back as skin cancer.

If you cut into cancers,

quite often it seeds
into your blood supply

and it did, it went into
my left nymph node

and they want to cut me
open from here to here,

across here, down
here and across here,

pull all the skin back

and you'll be deformed.

I said, "Okay, I
don't wanna do that.

I want to try other things."

And that little one
grew to a monster.

Thought that's strange,

so I went into the bathroom,
peeled the bandage off

and I was bleeding
out from a carotid artery.

So it was raised
to an emergency.

They put a torch into the hole,

they said, "We can actually
see the carotid artery.

It's completely diseased,
we can't even operate."

Said, "How long have I got?"
they said, "Minutes to hours."

Any blood pressure
increase or a laugh

or a cough or a movement
or the way that it's going,

it's gonna burst out you're
just going to bleed out.

I had, at that stage, been
examined by nine oncologists

and all said the same thing.

You know, you're
not gonna survive this,

you're gonna die.

But I survived that night.

Obviously I couldn't do Aikido,

I could hardly move properly.

But I practiced some of
the breathing and mind,

the meditation techniques.

My last resort was to
look at medicinal cannabis.

If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die.

So you know, I wasn't
too concerned personally

about the legality status of it.

The doctor came out and
said, "Yeah, well, there it looks

a lot better than
the last time I saw it,

but there's a huge
hole, Michael.

That's going to take
three months to close up."

But in one month,
that hole closed up.

Using CBD and THC which
was miraculous to the nurses

and to the doctor, they
weren't expecting that.

So my GP saw the
pictures and he said,

"I bumped into your oncologist
and showed him the pictures.

The oncologist
never said a word.

He just looked at it, shut
up and walked away."

That's unfortunate because
it's about saving human life.

And in suffering,
open your mindset up

to what else is out there.

Luke saw the wound
and saw the reduction,

you know, he was very
excited because it helps people

and helped me.

People wanted to
know how I was fixed.

So I told them about it.

Luke said, "Do you
want to be an advocate?"

I said, "Yeah, I want
people to get better."

Now I know about helping
people and dosing it correctly.

So it gave me purpose.

Hey come on in.

- Good to see you.
- You too, man.

I do have the odd
moment of real concern

that the stress of
what you're doing

may translate into a
resurgence of your,

of your condition.

In this hand I hold

the beautiful things that
this has brought to my life,

that I'll never forget
and will always do

in some way, shape or form,

whether in the
service or another.

And in the hand
to hold the reality

of the impact that
it's had on my health.

And my concern for
you is that I wonder

if you're putting
aside your life

in order to keep
doing this for others.

And I just want you to know,
I love what you're doing.

- Thank you.
- And I also love you enough

that if you said to me, I
feel like I need to stop this

for my own wellbeing,

that I would support you in that

as all the people supported me.

I took 2000 patients
names out of my phone

that had direct access to me

and I gave them to
all of these people.

And now the patients
are getting better care.

It got to a critical mass,
you know, recently.

And then I think
I don't have a life.

There's people for some reason,

planning badly, running out
of product on the weekend,

urgently need it and
you don't get any time off,

at night or during the
day and things like that.

And you're dealing with people,

you've gotta give them
attention and your energy.

And by the end of the
day, you're a bit weary.

And then you get
calls and you get texts

and you need to respond.

So you feel yourself
forcing to respond.

And I know that if I
look at my phone now,

there'll be six to
10 texts, you know?

And that's gotta
change, you know,

'cause I'm not 100% yet.

I had no future,

I was depressed and anxious

and I didn't know how I
was gonna look after myself.

You helped me and
supported me through all that.

Really is true and wonderful.

- Thank you.
- I'm very touched

that you'd say that.

How you doing?

Congratulations.

Leave my fucking
hair alone, mate.

Come here.

How's the baby?

- Baby's good, baby's good.
- Yeah?

Is he like, come
back into shape?

- Yeah.
- Dude was he squashed?

His head looked
like a little alien.

- Full on, isn't it?
- Yeah.

Yeah.

- You had some sleep?
- Yeah.

Straight up and turn right.

I lost two patients last week.

- Really?
- Left here.

They were, you know, still
lucid and still comfortable

and one in particular managed

to eat three meals a
day for his last week

and he hadn't eaten

- for months before then.
- Wow.

So just for the fact that
he was able to enjoy,

you know some meals

- before he died.
- Awesome, last meals.

It's huge, isn't it?

- Hello.
- Hey Allymae.

Hello Manuka.

- Look at that.
- Yeah.

- Just a little lump.
- It's slightly there but...

I'd still kept putting it on.

- Is it that good?
- From that massive lump

that it was sticking
right out from her nose.

The treatment time was
about six to eight weeks,

- wasn't it?
- Yeah.

See to me, it doesn't
feel like there's any,

it's like if I go
like that, right?

- Yeah, yup.
- That's the size of

maybe half a pea in there.

And so it would be interesting

to just keep putting
some on there

- Yeah, okay.
- And see if that

just disappear completely, hey?

Lately, I'm so impressed
with what's happened, hey.

- Good girl.
- Beautiful girl.

- Hey Luke.
- How are you?

We got some photos. I want
to have a look at them with you

-of last time -Okay, yeah.

When we first started and let's
have a look at them together

and see if we're
imagining things.

Well here especially,
that's all gone down.

Yeah, that whole,

the whole front part of it.

And now it's
actually flattened off.

There's been a
significant reduction,

at least on the front
half of the tumor

and that whole part
there that's protruding,

that's all gone.

There's no pressure or anything,

but if we can wrap
this up in 15 minutes,

everyone will be happy.

-There, see, no pressure,
-Yeah, no pressure

- whatsoever.
- Don't be anxious.

It's been a couple of
months since we saw you last.

We implemented a
regimen of using oils.

What's happened for you?

Ah mate, what hasn't happened?

Since starting on the oils,

I've stopped taking the vast
majority of my medication.

I'm not smoking anymore.

You look a lot
clearer in your face.

Yeah, yeah.

You know, I mean between
the oils and my girlfriend, yeah.

Like things are
really good, man.

If we go to the doctor,

there might be some
other reason why he is.

Absolutely, you know,

I think we need
to get blood tests.

I think we need to
explore all the options,

put them together
and find a way forward.

How do you feel about that?

Yeah, I'm all for it.

You all for it?

I really appreciate
what you're doing.

- Thanks.
- Yeah.

- All right, cheers.
- Thank you very much.

It's been roughly two months

since we first started him off

and I'm really happy

he's decided to accept
outside professional help.

The kind of which I can't give.

I'm so happy about that.

Come on mate, come on bro.

Bring it in.

Thanks for everything, man.

I had to go through nine
sessions of chemotherapy.

During that, I took the
medicinal cannabis,

which took away
a lot of the nausea,

gave me my appetite,
helped me sleep.

Going in for a little paddle?

Austin didn't even
know I surfed.

I haven't surfed for a while.

Well, I already knew
what I was up for

'cause I went through
testicular cancer when I was 22

and I knew I needed
something else

to help me through this stage.

Yeah, amazing to say the least.

Your dealer is your healer.

That's right.

I'm in remission now.

At the same time, I'm
not listening to doctors

with their, you know,
you're in remission,

just go on about your life.

Still on the medicinal cannabis,

slowly taking my way off that.

Being diagnosed with cancer,

if it doesn't kill you, it'll
completely change your life.

I feel like if anything,
I've become super human.

I feel like a
criminal if I stopped.

If I was to turn my
phone off tomorrow,

so many people
would be in a real spot.

You know this work that
we do needs to be continued.

And if we can't continue it,

then please provide
us with people that can.

I really hope what I'm doing

and the things I'm talking about

are taken in the spirit
that they're meant.

What we're trying
to do is a positive,

good thing and is helping

and please don't lock me
up or anyone that I know.

I rejected life at one place,

I didn't wanna be in it

and every single day, I get
this massive rush of gratitude

at some point that I'm alive

and this is my reminder today.

- Hey, Nicholas.
- Yeah, hi there.

We've been playing
phone tag all day.

How's your partner doing?

Yeah, look you know
is just that arthritis.

Sounds fucking horrible.

So your body's full
of inflamation, yeah?

He said the doctor said
that he wasn't terminal.

No one survived.

All right, take care.