HUNDREDS of people gathered to show their support for the medicinal use of cannabis.

A meeting at Brighton’s Brighthelm Centre, hosted by the United Patients Alliance, saw scores of Sussex residents share their stories on how cannabis helped to cure them – including one man who said cannabis oil freed him of cancer.

The event was attended by Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, and former government drug advisor Professor David Nutt. The pair shared their views on current laws surrounding medicinal cannabis use.

Michael Cutler, 63, from Hastings, said he was “sent home to die with a suitcase full of morphine” but believes he rid himself of the disease by taking cannabis oil.

Clark French, 28, from Brighton, told a packed room how cannabis had helped alleviate his chronic MS.

Mr French said: “The highlight of the night for me was Michael Cutler’s speech – he took a room full of people on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. He conveyed a message of hope and you could feel every person taking in what he was saying.

“When Mike said ‘I’m now cancer free’ the whole place exploded, everyone stood and cheered with so much furore that it took me back.

“Now is the time we rise and throw off the shackles of prohibition. Cannabis is medicine.”

A House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee concluded that government action is needed “now, more than ever” to learn from countries such as Portugal, where use of medical cannabis is decriminalised.

A Home Office report is due to be published soon.

Caroline Lucas said: “It has been incredibly moving to hear the courage of so many people who are essentially just trying to get a drug to keep themselves well. To criminalise people is inhumane, unjust and immoral.”