| Mullaways Medical Cannabis Pty Ltd |
| Tony Bower, above, with cannabis plants and materials from anonymous donors after a recent police raid seized his entire crop, which had been labelled for individual patients |
One does not simply shut down an Australian medical cannabis farm. At least, not when Tony Bower’s running it.
Just days after a police raid, Bower — an Australian medical marijuana grower and tincture maker — is undeterred and has assured his patients that their supply of medicinal cannabis tincture will be uninterrupted. According to Bower, the director of Mullaways Medical Cannabis Pty Ltd in New South Wales, anonymous donors have donated cannabis plants to keep the operation going.
“I would like to thank those people who have kindly donated plants and supplies to help the medicine to continue,” Bower said on Wednesday. “People need the medicine. I don’t want anyone to be worried or stressed. The medicine will continue to be there for them.”
| Melissa McDonald/The Sydney Morning Herald |
| Tony Bower supplied Mullaways medical cannabis tincture from the back of his van to chronically ill and dying patients seeking relief from their pain |
Mullaways tincture — which contains high levels of cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids, but very low levels of THC, the primary marijuana ingredient that gets you high — does not have a psychoactive effect on the seriously ill patients who use it.
“The medical cannabis tincture does not get people stoned,” Bower explained. “It is non-psychotropic and is not open to misuse.”
Bower said the police raid was unwarranted; Mullaways is a registered company under Commonwealth law. Bower was approved more than two years ago as a “fit and proper person” by the Commonwealth Therapeutic Goods Administration to hold a drug manufacturer’s license.
“What the police have done is illegal and the warrant was obtained by deception,” Bower said. “The police actions on the day would have made Laurel and Hardy proud.
| Mullaways Medical Cannabis Pty Ltd |
| All of the plants at Mullaways were labeled for specific, individual patients |
”I expect to have everything to be returned and the charges to be dropped at the first court appearance on the 16th of April,” Bower said. “I also expect the business to be fully compensated and my wife and I to be compensated for being illegally detained and assaulted. Our small dog was even kicked by one of the police.”
Bower also plans to ask for compensation for the stress that has been placed on medical cannabis users of Mullaways tincture, and for a medical cannabis card is to be issued to all medical cannabis patients.
The tincture is a therapeutic medicine used for medicinal purposes by chronically ill and dying patients to relieve pain and suffering from cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, emphysema, glaucoma, arthritis and other serious illnesses. At all times the medical cannabis used to make the tincture has been grown for therapeutic use, according to Bower.
“If I have done something wrong or illegal the the police should go to my website for the facts, and then get a warrant the right way and we will do it again,” Bowers said. “Cannabis is a health matter and comes under the commonwealth TGA. “
“I would like to tell the police and the government that if they think for one minute that I will walk away from the sick and suffering in our country then they should think again,” Bowers added defiantly. “If they want a fight, then here I am — leave the sick alone.”
“Thou shall do no harm,” Bowers said. “What has happened here has caused harm to people of Australia. Zero Tolerance on Pain and Suffering.”
“As the police have revealed the location, I will be requiring the police to assist with security,” Bower added.