Cannabis oil cured my bowel cancer, claims father, 33, 'given just 18 months to live'

• David Hibbitt was diagnosed in 2012 after initially being told he had piles
• Underwent chemo, radiotherapy and surgery but was told he was terminal
• Desperate, he researched online and bought cannabis oil, at £50 a month
• Credits it with his remarkable recovery and is now cancer-free   

By Anna Hodgekiss

A bowel cancer patient told he had just 18 months to live claims he has been cured by cannabis oil.

David Hibbitt, 33, was diagnosed with the disease in July 2012 and underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery to remove his large bowel.

Doctors told him the cancer was terminal - so he decided to try cannabis oil as a last resort and bought it from a local dealer for £50 a gram.

Now the father-of-one says he has been cancer-free since his last scan in January  - and puts the class-B drug down to his miracle recovery.

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David Hibbitt, 33, claims doctors said he had between 18 months and five years to live after being diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer. In desperation, he tried cannabis oil, which he now credits with his recovery

He is now looking forward to the future after tying the knot with his partner of six years Heather Martin, 26, at a registry office today.

Mr Hibbitt, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, said: 'Friends had told me about cannabis oil and I dismissed it at first. I've never been into drugs.

'But in February last year I was told I only had 18 months to five years to live, and I felt I had to try everything I could.

'I felt like the chemo was killing me and I had nothing to lose. I couldn't accept I was going to die.'

After going online to research his options, he discovered a lot of information about cannabis oil - and decided to try it.

'I pay around £50 for a gram from a bloke I know who makes it,' he said. 'That lasts me about a month usually.

'It gets your pretty high and knocks you for six, but it's nowhere near as bad as chemotherapy.

'The pain just seemed to disappear and it seems to have done the job. 

'I just want to make other people aware that there are other options out there.'

Mr Hibbitt was diagnosed with stage-three bowel cancer after initially being told he was suffering from piles. 

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Mr Hibbitt, with fiance Heather, said: 'I felt like the chemo was killing me and I had nothing to lose. I couldn't accept I was going to die'

After undergoing treatment at the Christie Hospital, in Manchester, the cancer returned and he had another operation in July 2013 followed by more chemotherapy.

He was given the all-clear before Christmas that year, but a month later he found a lump, and was told the cancer was in the lymph nodes in his groin.

Mr Hibbitt, who works in advertising, added: 'This time they told me there wasn't a lot they could do.

'In July, after doing a lot of research, I got some cannabis oil. I was having chemo, and I was getting to a point where I couldn't really do much, I had no energy.

'In August I decided I'd had enough and I was going to stop the chemotherapy.

In October, he had an operation to remove the affected lymph nodes at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

But he chose to carry on taking cannabis oil rather than have any more treatment, deciding against further chemotherapy sessions.

Following a scan in January he was given the all-clear - paving the way for him to organise his wedding.

Mr Hibbitt, who has a five-year-old son, Ashton, said: 'We never thought this would happen, it's great. Fingers crossed now I will grow old.

'I feel really good and I hope my story will help other people.'

His fiance Heather, a nursery nurse, said: 'I didn't want him to take the cannabis oil at first because it's illegal, but I saw the change in him and slowly got used to it.

'He is a determined person and did a lot of research. He wanted to live.

'We are all amazed how well he's done. I can't see my life without him. We have come through a hell of a lot.'

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Describing the effects of cannabis oil, he said: 'It gets your pretty high and knocks you for six, but it's nowhere near as bad as chemotherapy.The pain just seemed to disappear. I just want to make other people aware that there are other options out there'

Cancer Research UK says it is aware of patients using cannabis extracts to treat themselves but stressed there is 'no good evidence' to prove it was safe and effective.

The charity is supporting clinical trials into the use of the drug and a synthetic cannabinoid to treat the disease.

Dr Kat Arney, from Cancer Research UK, said: 'We know that cannabinoids - the active chemicals found in cannabis - can have a range of different effects on cancer cells grown in the lab and animal tumours.

'But at the moment there isn't good evidence from clinical trials to prove that they can safely and effectively treat cancer in patients.

'Despite this, some cancer patients do choose to treat themselves with cannabis extracts.

'Researchers are collecting patients' experiences to build a picture of whether these treatments are helping or not, although this is weak evidence compared to properly-run clinical trials.

'Cancer Research UK is supporting clinical trials for treating cancer with cannabinoid-based drugs in order to gather solid data on whether they benefit people with cancer.'