An Australian father is facing drug charges and potential jail time after treating his 2-year-old daughter cannabis oil to help ease her pain for stage 4 cancer.

Adam Koessler was criminally charged with possessing dangerous drugs and supplying them to a minor earlier this month, Yahoo reports. He has since been released on bail and is due back in court on Jan. 23. As an additional condition of his bail, Koessler was also initially ordered to stay away from his daughter.

Medical marijuana is illegal in Australia. Just the same, Koessler's plight has sparked outrage and support across the world, including sparking several online petitions, among them one on Change.org. that has attracted over 140,000 signatures.

"He is a father doing whatever possible to save his child ... let him go," wrote one online protestor in defense of the single father.

"If the law states that this man cannot give his terminally ill ... daughter something that improves her quality of life, than the law needs to be changed. The fact that this man has had his parental rights taken away by an ignorant legal system that has absolutely no right to do so absolutely disgusts me," another commenter said.

On Christmas Eve, Rumer Rose Koessler was officially diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma cancer which is caused by immature nerve cells. As part of his ongoing battle, Koessler has launched a GoFundMe page to help defray his daughter's medical bills and aid in his legal costs. Collectively, the campaigns have already raised nearly $20,000.

Meanwhile, Rumer's parents have placed her on a treatment regimen of naturopathic medicine, gluten-free meals and medical-grade cannabis oil. Medical marijuana is increasingly being used around the world to treat such conditions as cancer, ulcers, migraines and epilepsy.

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