Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
A war hero from Ayr who lost both legs in a bomb blast is forced to break the law to get cannabis to ease his pain.
Lance Corporal Callum Brown is now leading calls to legalise the drug for medical use. He wants to see cannabis made available to patients like him who suffer agonising pain 24 hours a day.
Callum, 28, also shattered his pelvis in the huge explosion after he stepped on a booby-trap bomb while on patrol in Helmand in Afghanistan five years ago.
The terrible situation of the former Queen Margaret Academy pupil from Ayr made the front page of the Ayrshire Post.
And his mum Liz said then: "My boy is fighting hard."
Callum is now fighting hard on his campaign not to be treated like a petty criminal possessing cannabis.
He said: "As well as my other injuries, I have no skin on my backside — it's just thin scar tissue so the nerve damage and the phantom pains are the main reason for smoking.
"It also helps with depression as it's easy to get a bit down. After seeing kids suffering and mothers of dead children screaming in my face in Afghanistan, asking why we did this, I decided enough was enough.
"I wanted to speak out to make sure children don't go on suffering.
"Kids with epilepsy and other conditions can be helped with some of the active ingredients in cannabis. It has been used for thousands of years. Ancient people knew all about its medicinal qualities.
"I shouldn't have to be a criminal to get something that eases my pain and makes life easier.
"After I was injured in Afghanistan the doctors had me on strong painkillers. These chemicals had very strong side-effects — they could even make you suicidal, which obviously wasn't good when I was trying to cope with my injuries.
"With cannabis, there is no down side. It eases my pain.
"My injuries mean I am effectively sitting on the base of my spine all day. When I am sitting down, I am sitting on bone. Cannabis takes the edge off the searing pain.
"It should be legal for medical use for people like me who really need it, not people who just take it to get high."
Callum, now living in Midlothian, is now leading calls for the law to be changed so that British doctors can prescribe medical cannabis.
He was injured in 2011 in an explosion during his last patrol before he was due to return home to fiancée Laura Taylor.
The couple had been due to marry but were forced to cancel their plans after the bomb blast. Instead they tied the knot in a ceremony at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital where Callum was treated after being flown home from Camp Bastion.
Callum, who served with 2 SCOTS, the Royal Highland Fusiliers, lost two thirds of his body weight as he recovered from the blast. At one point, he was taking more than 30 pills a day to deal with the pain — but now he says smoking a small amount of cannabis helps instead.
He said: "My mum and wife were there when I woke up. I said, 'My legs are gone, aren't they?' and they just said, 'Yes'.
"When I was blown up, I was blasted about 30ft into the air. It didn't even knock me out, I was conscious the whole time. It was amazingly horrible."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ayr War Hero Who Lost Both Legs In Afghanistan Forced To Break Law To Ease Pain With Cannabis
Author: Stephen Houston
Contact: reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Daily Record
Lance Corporal Callum Brown is now leading calls to legalise the drug for medical use. He wants to see cannabis made available to patients like him who suffer agonising pain 24 hours a day.
Callum, 28, also shattered his pelvis in the huge explosion after he stepped on a booby-trap bomb while on patrol in Helmand in Afghanistan five years ago.
The terrible situation of the former Queen Margaret Academy pupil from Ayr made the front page of the Ayrshire Post.
And his mum Liz said then: "My boy is fighting hard."
Callum is now fighting hard on his campaign not to be treated like a petty criminal possessing cannabis.
He said: "As well as my other injuries, I have no skin on my backside — it's just thin scar tissue so the nerve damage and the phantom pains are the main reason for smoking.
"It also helps with depression as it's easy to get a bit down. After seeing kids suffering and mothers of dead children screaming in my face in Afghanistan, asking why we did this, I decided enough was enough.
"I wanted to speak out to make sure children don't go on suffering.
"Kids with epilepsy and other conditions can be helped with some of the active ingredients in cannabis. It has been used for thousands of years. Ancient people knew all about its medicinal qualities.
"I shouldn't have to be a criminal to get something that eases my pain and makes life easier.
"After I was injured in Afghanistan the doctors had me on strong painkillers. These chemicals had very strong side-effects — they could even make you suicidal, which obviously wasn't good when I was trying to cope with my injuries.
"With cannabis, there is no down side. It eases my pain.
"My injuries mean I am effectively sitting on the base of my spine all day. When I am sitting down, I am sitting on bone. Cannabis takes the edge off the searing pain.
"It should be legal for medical use for people like me who really need it, not people who just take it to get high."
Callum, now living in Midlothian, is now leading calls for the law to be changed so that British doctors can prescribe medical cannabis.
He was injured in 2011 in an explosion during his last patrol before he was due to return home to fiancée Laura Taylor.
The couple had been due to marry but were forced to cancel their plans after the bomb blast. Instead they tied the knot in a ceremony at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital where Callum was treated after being flown home from Camp Bastion.
Callum, who served with 2 SCOTS, the Royal Highland Fusiliers, lost two thirds of his body weight as he recovered from the blast. At one point, he was taking more than 30 pills a day to deal with the pain — but now he says smoking a small amount of cannabis helps instead.
He said: "My mum and wife were there when I woke up. I said, 'My legs are gone, aren't they?' and they just said, 'Yes'.
"When I was blown up, I was blasted about 30ft into the air. It didn't even knock me out, I was conscious the whole time. It was amazingly horrible."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ayr War Hero Who Lost Both Legs In Afghanistan Forced To Break Law To Ease Pain With Cannabis
Author: Stephen Houston
Contact: reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Daily Record
