Sir Patrick Stewart went to 10 Downing Street to hand in a petition calling on the government to legalise cannabis for medicinal use, alongside the family of a six-year-old boy with epilepsy who have campaigned for its legalisation.
Little Alfie Dingley has a form of epilepsy that causes him to have up to 150 seizures every month - however, after legally receiving medical cannabis oil while in the Netherlands he went for 27 days without a seizure.
His family are now urging the UK government to allow the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
The family has managed to pick up 370,000 signatures on a petition which they handed over today, the Independent reports.
Amongst those signing the petition was Star Trek actor Stewart, who said: "How could one not support Alfie, hearing what his life has been and the benefits given to him by being able to use medicinal marijuana?"
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Seventy-seven-year-old Stewart says he uses medical cannabis when he is in California, which he prefers to the 'painful steroid' injections he has to have when in the UK.
He continued: "There has never been a stronger case for the legalisation of medical marijuana.
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"I have been registered for medical marijuana in California for over three years and have found it immensely beneficial for my arthritis."
Alfie, who has a rare form of epilepsy called PCDH19, and has been hospitalised almost 50 times in a year as a result.
His family noticed that while in the Netherlands, where he was prescribed cannabis oil, the length and severity of his seizures were dramatically reduced. His family applied for a special license for him to use it in the UK, but were rejected.
While in the UK Alfie is offered steroid medications, but his family say these come with a number of harmful side-effects, including organ damage.
His dad Drew told the Independent: "Alfie's condition is worsening, which is obviously a worry.
"The steroids have side effects, they make people more aggressive and we've seen a change in his behaviour. We just want our little boy back, our happy little six-year-old playing with his sister.
"What we're asking for is a medical grade product, made under laboratory conditions, which is bottled and prescribed in the way any painkiller is."
His mum Hannah, added that the decision should be a 'no brainer' as their little boy's condition currently costs the NHS thousands, which could be significantly reduced if he was allowed to use the oil.
A spokesperson for Theresa May said the government was committed to exploring 'a range of options to find a solution for Alfie'.
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Source: The Independent
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: UK News