Pot plantation to cure mum's cancer

Chronic pain sufferers say cannabis makes life bearable. Source: AP

A MAN who believed radiation and chemotherapy treatment killed three loved ones started growing cannabis because it was a "major benefit" to the immune system and "cured" his mother of cancer.

Michael Bede Dooley, 59, was given a six-month fully suspended jail sentence in the NT Supreme Court for cultivating 81 cannabis plants, The Northern Territory News reports.

The service station owner of Batchelor, south of Darwin, had been growing the crops for up to seven months when police raided his property in May last year.

The court was told that Dooley was growing the plants because he believed cannabinoids were beneficial to the human immune system and could cure his sick mother.

Justice Peter Barr was told his belief stemmed from the loss of his wife, grandmother and friend who were all undergoing radiation or chemotherapy when they died.

Justice Barr said: "This case is a most unusual one."

Read more about it at The NT News website

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Labor commits $100m to cancer research

Labor leader Mark McGowan has promised $100 million for cancer treatment and research. Source: PerthNow

MARK McGowan has announced Labor would allocate $100 million over four years to provide more doctors, nurses and research to combat cancer.

The package would include $45 million for cancer staff, $40 million for medical research, $10 million for asbestos-related cancer prevention, and $5 million to help low-income earners with cancer-related travel.

Mr McGowan said the funding would lead to shorter waiting lists to see specialists and encourage more specialists to practise in WA.

The asbestos funding would also establish a register to identify the location and amount of asbestos in WA, and the deadly material's safe removal, he said.

But the Liberals accused Labor of playing catch-up to their own commitment of $109 million over four years.

The Liberals funding includes the same $45 million Labor committed to cancer doctors and nurses, which was already allocated in the current state budget.

It also includes an additional $30 million for health and medical research and $34 million over four years for palliative care.

Mr McGowan dodged questions from the media on opinion polls, saying he was focused on working hard on winning the March 9 election.

Latest poll results show the Liberals well in front as preferred party.

"If that poll is accurate, well then, the people of Western Australia will have an arrogant and out of touch government for the next four years,'' Mr McGowan said.

He also said Labor's Metronet public transport project would be submitted to Treasury to be costed on Monday or Tuesday.

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