Harry’s story: Tackling stigma and the symptoms of eczema

Can you tell us a bit about your health and why you decided to look into medical cannabis?

I got gout a few years ago, which I was very surprised about because I'm not a big drinker at all. It's actually made me completely stop drinking. I was prescribed all sorts of painkillers and things like that, and they started giving me really bad headaches. 

Cannabis was the only thing that I’d found that really worked, to be honest. It took the inflammation down. It took the pain away, and it stopped it coming back as well. There was a 3-week period where I didn't have any cannabis at all, and the pain came back with a vengeance. Since I've got my prescription from Releaf, it's not really flared up again much at all. So, it's helped massively with that. 

Another big reason why I decided to get cannabis prescribed is, I get very stressed. 

I've got my own business: I'm a managing director of a telecommunications company, and we've got 20 plus employees. It can be very stressful and very time-consuming. Having something to make me just switch off at night and allow me to get a proper sleep is just a godsend. It really is. So from that side, it's also been so good for me.

I've always been a pretty healthy person… I try to stay as active as I can, but recently, with work, it's just been pretty hard to do. I do play golf a few times a week, but I used to go to the gym three or four times a week, and I noticed it would help massively with recovery. I would be able to train again the next day without getting as sore as I was without it… 

So I've always been an advocate of it, it's a fantastic thing if it's used properly. I've used it nearly all my adult life, and it's helped me in a lot of different ways. 

Why did you begin medical cannabis treatment with Releaf, instead of sourcing it on the street?  

I wanted it to be regulated. I wanted to know what I was getting. I wanted to guarantee the right type for what I need it for. 

When you're getting it off the street, you're not guaranteed a certain type. You're not guaranteed whether it's a Sativa or Indica, so it was useless, really.  If I'm not getting the right type of what I need to help me, then I don't want to bother with it. 

Being able to actually get exactly what I need to help the situation is brilliant. That was one of the main reasons, just so that I know it's good, I know it's clean, I know it's regulated, I know that it's all been done properly. That was the main reason.

Do you feel safer now that you are a legal medical cannabis patient?

Oh, 100%. I'm nearly 40. I don't want to be going and meeting drug dealers and things like that.

I feel a lot safer this way. But I'm very discreet and I only use my medication in my house. I don't take it out. I've got a son at home, so I only use it when he's at school in the daytime or when he's in his bed at night. 

How did you settle on Releaf as your clinic?

I did a wee bit of research, and I found that some of the other clinics (although they might be cheaper per month) seemed almost like a free-for-all from the outside looking in, if that makes sense. 

It didn't seem like there was any sort of doctor, patient relationship there. It just seemed very much ‘pay a fee, give us your medical records, and we'll let you choose whatever the hell you want’ sort of thing. 

I think that's one of the reasons some people still have a stigma against it, because of things like that.

I chose Releaf because it just seemed a lot more professional. It seemed a lot more suited to me as a person, and it's been good so far.

Have you informed your employer about taking medical cannabis?

I haven't informed them because I'm not having to take it whilst at work. There's quite a strict drug and alcohol policy at my work, so I would prefer not to. I'm mainly doing it on the weekends and when I get home to help with my symptoms and, fortunately, I'm not having severe breakouts whilst at work. But if I were, then I'd maybe consider having that conversation with my employer. 

Have you experienced any stigma around your family and friends?

I've received mixed responses. My friends are pleased for me, and they're saying, “Oh, it's about time. It's good that you've sought out this more formalised prescription.” And they're really happy for me.

My parents, not so much. They're from a generation that got bombarded with all the messaging about cannabis being terrible and all the negative propaganda that came along with that while they were growing up. So, I can't really shift their opinion that it's for the best for me… But at the same time, they respect me as an adult, and they respect me to have my own autonomy. 

What would you say your dosing routine is like? 

I'd say as and when I need it, but usually two or three times a day… And I feel like that system's working for me. On certain days, I get more tempted to itch, or I have itched, and I'm trying to reduce the need to scratch and set off a flare-up again. So, I think my ability to control when I take a dose is really good, and I'm doing it around my other activities. 

Why did you decide to share your story today, and what advice would you give to others?

Because getting a medical prescription is something that I've wanted for a long time, and if I'd known how straightforward and easy it would be to get that, I would want to tell people about it. I know other people who self-medicate for other reasons, and I've told them about Releaf and told them about how if you're transparent, straightforward, and honest with them, they can really help you achieve what you're after. 

I feel like more people should be aware of it, and they just haven't got the word out. And again, partly because of the stigma around cannabis and the lack of understanding about the variety of things it can help treat.

Has cannabis allowed you to do things that you couldn't do before?

I'd say it's given me a lot more autonomy and less paranoia about using cannabis, and it's helped with the stigma side of things with the people around me… They can understand it a lot more now that I'm formally recognised by a doctor to be using it. It has given me the confidence to not be as shy and be more open and transparent, as I am now. 

I wouldn't say physically it's allowed me to go to more places, but I'd say mentally it's given me the confidence to do more of what I was doing, but with more confidence and less stigma attached to it.

If you would like to learn more about medical cannabis treatment options for the conditions mentioned in this Patient Story, please see medical cannabis for eczema.