NSW Police raid 'medicinal marijuana crop'

Police have raided the property of a man who openly distributes marijuana as a medical aid.

More than 200 plants and a quantity of cannabis were seized last Thursday from the home of Mullaways Medical Cannabis, at Crescent Head on the NSW north coast, a police spokeswoman said.

The company, run by 56-year-old Tony Bower, breeds a specific strain of the plant which Mr Bower makes into an extract and gives for free to more than 300 patients.

Mr Bower was issued a court attendance notice for the cultivating an indictable quantity of a prohibited plant and supplying a prohibited drug.

But Mr Bower said he has always been transparent with police and government authorities are aware of his operation and what he does.

"I have worked tirelessly to try to please people in government but continue to be treated with disrespect," Mr Bower said in a statement sent to ninemsn.

"I know that I can help and even heal people with my medicine, a medicine that doesn't get people stoned."

Mr Bower dubbed last week's raid "a new low" for NSW police.

"Through the confiscation of this medical cannabis crop, the NSW police have deprived many Australians their medicine," the statement read.

"It is a form of discrimination against sufferers of chronic illness and pain who need this medicine."

Each plant is labelled for specific patients, who are required to provide letters of support from their doctors in order to receive the drug.

Mr Bower is due to appear in court on April 16.

He can apply for an exemption from the charges if he can prove in court he grows cannabis for medical use, a police spokeswoman said.

However, there is no law specifically allowing the use of medicinal marijuana in Australia.

Medicinal marijuana is sometimes used to relieve pain and nausea in patients with cancer, HIV, migraines or spinal cord injuries.