NSW medical marijuana campaigner dies

One of the key campaigners behind a push to legalise marijuana use for terminally ill people in New South Wales has died.

Dan Haslam, 25, was surrounded by friends and family when he died at his Tamworth home on Tuesday, after a five-year battle with bowel cancer, the ABC reports.

The Haslam family came to national attention in 2014 as they campaigned for the medicinal use of marijuana to be made legal.

Approved people with a terminal illness can now legally possess small amounts of the drug in NSW.

Mrs Haslam said her son's efforts had helped thousands of people.

"He just became the champion of the cause for so many people that didn't feel they could use their own voice to come out in support for medical cannabis," Mr Haslam's mother Lucy Haslam said.

"He was just someone seeking medicine, nothing more nothing less.

"There are so many people that aren't having their needs met with the medications that are available.

"If something that works for them, if it can't do them any harm, the fact that it's illegal, I think that's just craziness."

A public memorial will be held for Mr Haslam in Tamworth next week.

Source: ABC