Michael Lambert's 4 year old daughter Katelyn suffers devastating, brain-damaging seizures. Regular epilepsy treatments failed her – and now, Michael faces charges that treat him as a criminal for helping his sick daughter with medicinal cannabis.

He has provided a medical necessity for her to survive and live well. Something that any caring parent would do in a similar position. What's happening to this loving dad and daughter now is wrong on so many levels. 

"I know I am going to jail but if I don't want to see my daughter grow up with half a brain - I have no choice."

Malcolm Turnbull and other States have passed new laws for medicinal cannabis. But it's clearly just lip service if desperate and sick Australians who need this medicine can be jailed for it. We need an immediate amnesty so people like little Katelyn and Michael aren't treated like criminals.

I was in this situation myself. My son Dan suffered terminal cancer, and medicinal cannabis was the only thing that helped the nausea and pain.

As a former nurse - and my husband a former Police drug squad officer– we had to break the law too.

I'm calling on all heads of Government to stop sick Australians being treated like criminals – please pass an amnesty and provide them support through a Compassionate Access Scheme. It is the very least we can do to demonstrate our care for the sick.

Lucy Haslam Founding Director UIC