Doctors will soon be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis as the Government plans to ease restrictions.
Patients are welcoming the move but it may be some time before they can pick up their prescriptions.
Fourteen-year-old Jakeb Adams-Hughes suffers daily seizures, he's had them all his life.
His mother, Melany Hughes, says he's suffered many injuries.
"He's broken his nose, dislocated his shoulder, he's fallen through windows, he's fallen down steps, cut his head open."
Ms Hughes says they've tried 15 medications and he's had two brain surgeries.
"He wears a helmet full time now even in his sleep in case he wakes up and has one."
Cannabidiol (CBD) doesn't get you high, but despite that, it's been treated as a controlled drug.
But now Peter Dunne, the associate Health Minister, says it will be treated like any other prescription medicine.
"It will mean that these products will be able to be prescribed directly by their doctor, that they'll be able to get up to three months' supply."
NORML president Chris Fowlie says it's "a massive step forward", but not enough.
"We still need products to actually be available and we need Pharmac to subsidise it."
Even if a product is registered, it's likely to be expensive. And any chance of funding is still way off.
Restrictions will likely be removed in the next couple of months, and patients hope it's the first step towards access to CBD products.
Newshub.
