Two New Zealand parents have told the ABC that CBD oil is responsible for their daughter’s miraculous recovery from leukaemia.
Two-year-old Ahurewa Rapira was diagnosed with Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia in May of this year. The news devested her patients, Brad and Rachel Rapira, as her diagnosis came with a 50% survival rate.
Doctors originally recommended Ahurewa was treated with four rounds of chemotherapy, with radiotherapy, bone marrow transplants and stem cell transplants used if chemo was unsuccessful.
Instead, Mr Rapira began to look into alternative treatments. He quickly discovered research into cannabis and was determined to supplement his daughter’s treatment with medical cannabis. After Ahurewa’s specialist doctors agreed, Ahurewa became one of New Zealand’s youngest medical cannabis patients.
She was given her first dose three days before her first round of chemo, with doctors on the day of the third day of treatment noting that her blood had zero cancer cells in it. The Rapiro’s and the hospital then agreed to stop treatment after three rounds of chemo.
Ahurewa is now in remission, with Mr Rapiro telling the ABC that the cannabis oil reduced the number of rounds of chemo Ahurewa had to go through.
Reporter Tahlea Aualiitia also asked Mr Rapiro’s thoughts on recreational cannabis. On October 17, New Zealand citizens will vote in a referendum that would legalese recreational cannabis use in adults.
Mr Rapira believes the legalisation of recreational cannabis will help normalise the use of medical cannabis for patients like his daughter. He also believes it will be safer for black market cannabis users, saying:
There is no drug testing over here and because it’s on the black market it’s hard to know the CBD and THC levels in the CBD oil.
If cannabis is legalised, the New Zealand government will bring in $1 billion in tax annually. Read that story here.
