'No parent should have to do this': Loving father who illegally grew cannabis to treat his daughter's debilitating Crohn's disease after her weight plummeted to just 32 KILOGRAMS is now facing jail time

• Both of Stephen Taylor's daughter suffer from the debilitating Crohn's disease
• He desperately sought the held of doctors but was unable to find assistance 
• He turned to cultivating his own medical marijuana but police raided his home 
• He now faces a jail term and large fine for cultivating and possessing cannabis 

By Adam Mccleery

A loving father is so devoted to the health of his two daughters that he is risking a jail sentence after juicing cannabis in an effort to combat their debilitating Crohn's disease.

New South Wales father Stephen Taylor had turned to a number of doctors pleading for them to help him and his family, but none would step up.

To gain a prescription for medical marijuana in Australia a patient must first find a doctor that is either an 'authorised prescriber' or one that would be willing to submit the application to the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Unfortunately Mr Taylor was never able to find such a doctor.

'A couple of times I have carried Morgan into hospital weighing around 32 kilos,' Mr Taylor told ABC's 730 on Monday night.

'Actually carrying her in my arms crying. No parent should have to do this. At any stage.'

A loving father is so devoted to the health of his two daughters that he is risking a jail sentence after juicing cannabis in an effort to combat their debilitating Crohn's disease

Ariel (left) and Morgan Taylor (right) both suffer from the auto-immune condition

So Mr Taylor stepped up and took drastic measures to help his beloved daughters and started to cultivate his own cannabis.

'We wanted to start using the leaves for juicing,' he said.

Mr Taylor said it was only a matter of weeks before he could see a visible turnaround in his daughters, saying he truly believed his daughter Morgan, 21, went into remission.

'She was starting to put on weight, she was starting to eat healthy food and we said 'fantastic',' he said. 

Mr Taylor set up a growing operation in his back yard and began the process of cultivating and then juicing cannabis.

However he was raided by police who confiscated all the cannabis he had grown and charged him with with cultivation and possession of cannabis.

Mr Taylor could face a number of years in jail and a large fine if he is found guilty of the charges.

No parent should have to do this. At any stage,' a heartbroken Mr Taylor told the program

His older daughter Morgan spoke to ABC News about how using cannabis oil had positively impacted her quality of life right away.

She said that it was within one month that she was no longer bedridden, was able to start eating healthy and even exercising. 

'I gained weight, I got up to 50 kilos, I was able to work,' she said.

Medical marijuana was made legal in Australia 18 months ago after the Narcotics Amendment Bill 2016 was passed.

However the red tape and application process required to gain permission for its use has proven a big hurdle for many. 

Just 519 patients have been approved for the treatment.

However some medical professionals have said that up to 100,000 Australians are in need of the medical marijuana, but at this stage they are forced to go through illegal channels to get it.

Medical marijuana was made legal in Australia 18 months ago after the Narcotics Amendment Bill 2016 was passed and is still undergoing clinical trials in every state

Mr Taylor turned to illegal cultivation of cannabis because he felt he had no other choice.

His daughters were, and still are, in and out of hospital and dropping to dangerously low weights which constantly impacts their quality of life.

'The government have to do something about this, it's ridiculous,' he said. 

He said all they had to do was listen and they would hear that parents and average people are crying out for medical marijuana.

The government has claimed it wants to eliminate the red tape and make it easier for patients to gain access however the results aren't reflecting that.

Another problem is that many doctors can't reach a consensus on medical marijuana and whether it would help their patients and as a result are hesitant to submit applications.

Just 519 patients have been approved for the treatment, however some medical professionals have said that up to 100,000 Australians are in need of the medical marijuana

Clinical trials are still underway across all Australian states, New South Wales is currently testing its effects on terminal cancer and paediatric epilepsy.

A medical marijuana educational seminar is being held in Sydney on March 14 at the University of Sydney from 6.30pm.

Crohn's disease is a life long chronic disease which causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, or gut, and was first discovered in 1932 by Dr Burrill B. Crohn whom the disease is named after.

Symptoms vary greatly from patient to patient, including unintended weight loss and loss of appetite which both Taylor sisters were suffering, among others.

The inflammation can also stop the body from being able to process and adsorb nutrients correctly, causing slow and stunted growth.