Coming into Focus: How a retired filmmaker found relief for his chronic pain without the use of opioids

Can you tell us about your health journey and the conditions you’ve been diagnosed with?

I've had back problems since my 20s. My lower back used to be the main issue, but in the last few years, I’ve developed shoulder and neck problems as well. 

The neck issue is caused by a trapped nerve that goes down from my neck and through my shoulder, and that can be painful. It causes a tingling sensation that goes right down my left arm and into the back of my thumb and index finger that is extremely irritating. On top of that, I have general arthritic pain and rheumatic pain, particularly in my hands and finger joints. 

I tried acupuncture, osteopathy and deep massage treatments, which have been helpful, but after multiple attacks of serious, acute back pain I was prescribed codeine, temazepam, and diazepam at different times. I didn’t want to take such strong medications every day, so I self-medicated with ibuprofen and codeine—the strongest thing you can buy over the counter. I was going through a box of 30 codeine tablets per month—I wasn’t taking them every day, but when I was taking them, I was taking quite a few. 

Since I began my treatment with medical cannabis at Releaf three months ago, I've virtually stopped taking anything else for pain relief. 

Did you do any research on medical cannabis before you decided it could be an effective treatment option?

I’ve been seriously interested in the medicinal aspects of cannabis, and also the legalities, for many years. I used to be a documentary filmmaker, and I have made educational films about illegal substances. For these documentaries, I studied the history of the legislation of cannabis, and various other drugs in the UK, and internationally. How cannabis was medically available until the early 1970s,  was then made illegal and then eventually medical use was allowed. I still have a very strong view on the subject. A lot of it has to do with economics of major pharmaceutical companies, and I believe that the criminalization of cannabis has driven the criminal market out of control. 

I don’t mind saying that I’ve used “street” cannabis before, especially in my teens and twenties . I haven't used it in the last few years for several reasons. The first is that the quality of “street” cannabis is terrible. I'm old enough to remember when we had natural cannabis from Nigeria or Jamaica, and those strains were much more relaxed. Now, THC levels in “street” cannabis are just too strong for me—it's like the difference between drinking pure alcohol and a fine brandy— it’s not the same thing as the medical cannabis I’ve been prescribed. 

I’ve also tried to treat my conditions with over-the-counter cannabis products before I found Releaf, so I have a baseline to compare it to. A few years ago, a friend introduced me to CBD oil as treatment, and I found that quite helpful for general rheumatic pain. That success was what made me want to look more closely at different medical cannabis options. Soon after that, I applied to become a medical cannabis patient at Releaf. 

It certainly sounds like you’ve done your homework. Why did you choose Releaf instead of a different clinic?

I discovered Releaf about three months ago while researching different clinics online. I called the phone number, and the staff member I connected with was absolutely fantastic. That’s the first thing that impressed me, and it's a big reason why I chose Releaf: the support staff are excellent.

In fact, every time I spoke to somebody at Releaf, they were always concerned and helpful. I was just speaking to one of the support staff today and I told them as much. 

All the people I’ve come in contact with at the clinic have been great, including the doctors. I've had three consultations now with three specialists, and the conversations I’ve had with them have all been very interesting. Each doctor had very insightful information. 

What was it like to get started with your treatment, and how is it going? Have you noticed any changes in your health?

The day I received my Releaf Starter Kit in the mail was terribly exciting. That was amazing. I like the box and the presentation, and everything included was very useful, and it's a good quality vape. I’ve used a vape pen previously, but with this one it’s easier to control the dose. I felt fantastic about the Starter Kit.

I also like having a medical cannabis card. It’s good to know that I can prove that I’m a registered medical cannabis patient. I only hope I never have to!

Right now, I have prescriptions for two different strains of cannabis flowers, but I don’t feel I need to use them very much. Instead, I usually use my prescribed cannabis oil at a very low dose every day. It doesn't kill the pain or remove the irritation entirely, but it certainly relieves it. 

The cannabis oil I received from Releaf is much more effective than the CBD I was using before.  The CBD made me more sluggish than the oil. It’s interesting: the oil doesn’t completely kill the pain, but the effects effectively distract me from the pain. I become less and less aware of it. 

And here is the most important thing about the cannabis oil: it doesn't affect my work life. 

I write. I'm retired, but I still write. While using my cannabis oil, I can still go to meetings; I can focus on my work and function absolutely normally. I really appreciate that aspect of the oil: it doesn't affect my cognitive ability at all. It just makes me feel better.

I generally only use my vape pen at night. Of course, as you get older, one gets aches and pains. If I've had a long day, done a lot of physical work, vaping the flower at night really helps. In the evening, it's lovely. I just relax in front of the television. In the daytime, I only use the oil. That’s just what works for me. 

What would be your vision for the future of medical cannabis in the UK?

I'm pleased that it's legal, but I think it should be more widely accessible on the NHS. I also think that there should be more information available about medical cannabis. Cannabis is a complex natural product that contains many different compounds, THC, CBD, terpenes etc, which occur in various doses and interact in different ways. So it's a difficult and expensive thing to research, and synthesise. Historically, the Big Pharma companies have put their efforts into cheaper and easier drugs to research and manufacture like opiates - and that’s a problem for us all. 

Eventually, I would like to see a situation where medical cannabis is available directly through a GP. I haven't even spoken to my GP about my treatment, because I'm not sure if she'd approve. Alternative treatments should be taken seriously. I think even most GP’s would agree that it's not a good thing to take codeine or diazepam on a regular basis, like I was doing. Those medications are highly addictive, and I don’t want to take them every day.