Lambert Family Propels Australia to Forefront of Medical Cannabis Research
Medical Cannabis is continuing to touch lives all over the globe, and every once in a while it turns industry skeptics into believers. This was the case with Australian Barry Lambert and his wife, Joy. A semi-retired bank executive with a fortune of $350Mil, Barry recently donated $33.7Mil to fund medical Cannabis research in Australia. The gift was the largest donation ever received by the University of Sydney and was directly inspired by the Lambert’s 3-year-old granddaughter Katelyn; who suffers from Dravet syndrome, a crippling form of epilepsy.
“The experience of our granddaughter, who suffers debilitating epilepsy, has opened our eyes to the extraordinary possibility of cannabinoids treating not only her condition but a range of chronic illnesses that often don’t respond to conventional treatments.” – Barry Lambert
Mr. Lambert saw firsthand, the impact that Cannabis can have when applied medically. Katelyn had been suffering nearly 1,400 seizures per DAY and was admitted to the hospital for urgent care almost weekly. Since beginning Cannabinoid treatments nearly 9 months ago, Katelyn has seen a reduction in seizures and has only been hospitalized once over that time. Cannabinoid treatments involve the non-psychoactive part of the Cannabis plant, allowing for medical treatment of all ages without the ‘high’ associated with Cannabis use.
“We believe this investment in the future of Australian science and medicine will provide the much-needed evidence to rapidly advance the use of medicinal cannabinoids in the treatment of childhood epilepsy and other serious illnesses.” –Barry Lambert
A recent study conducted at the New York Universities Langone Medical Center discovered that patients who received cannabinoid treatments saw a 50% reduction in the frequency of seizures. However, studies like this are uncommon due to the federal legality of Cannabis all over the world. Researchers from the University of Sydney are hoping to change that and will be working to develop systems of care for illnesses across the board.
“(This Donation) enables research across a broad range of applications from addiction, cancer, obesity, childhood epilepsy and chronic pain to dementia and mental health disorders.” – Dr. Michael Spence – Vice Chancellor – University of Sydney
Mike Baird is the current Premier(President) in the state of New South Wales, Australia. A politician who lacked experience in the Cannabis industry, Baird became a surprising advocate for medical Cannabis after meeting Dan Haslan, a cancer victim who passed away this past February.
“The Lamberts’ investment gives our cause enormous momentum and my hope is it dramatically increases the cross-sector knowledge sharing required to ultimately produce cannabinoid-based medicines that are safe, reliable and affordable.” – Mike Baird – NSW Premier
What are your thoughts on this massive donation? Do you think it will help move the political needle towards mass legalization? Join the conversation by commenting below!
Photo credit: Dirk Sebregts
