Melanie Cooper, 39, has talked about her experience living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and the relief she has found through legal medical cannabis, following years of pain and discomfort.
Melanie explained that before being prescribed medical cannabis, the impact of MS left her not only in pain but also nervous about leaving her house.
Reflecting on her life since starting her prescription, Ms Cooper, from Workington, said: “I’m not as nervous to go out.”
She added: “It’s eased everything.”
She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2020 after being rushed to hospital with a suspected stroke. Since then, she said she has lived with debilitating tremors, anxiety and mobility challenges that increasingly confined her to her home.
Recalling the onset of her illness, Melanie said: “I couldn’t speak properly, and I lost feeling in my right side. I was taken into hospital with a suspected stroke, but then I was diagnosed with MS.”
The private medical cannabis clinic Releaf prescribed her medical cannabis flower, intended for use with a vaporiser as smoking remains illegal in the UK.
“My mum and dad don’t like the smell,” she admitted. “I don’t vape around them, I’ll go outside. But they’ve seen the difference it makes when I haven’t had it compared to when I have. They’ve realised it does help.
“I don’t do it for fun. I don’t do it to get stoned. I do it to have a normal life. It helps people and shouldn’t be frowned upon.”
NHS guidance
Medical cannabis is a term used for cannabis-based medicine prescribed to relieve symptoms.
According to NHS guidance, only specific cannabis-based products are available on prescription, and these are only likely to benefit a very small number of patients, usually when other treatments have not been suitable or have not helped.
Very few people in England are likely to get an NHS prescription for medical cannabis.
Currently, it is generally only prescribed for children and adults with rare, severe forms of epilepsy, adults with vomiting or nausea caused by chemotherapy, or people with muscle stiffness and spasms caused by multiple sclerosis.
The NHS warns that products bought online or without a prescription may be illegal and unsafe, as their quality and contents are not guaranteed.
According to the health service, of those cannabis-based medicines that can be prescribed, a prescription would only be given when deemed to be in the patient’s best interests and when other treatments had not worked or were not suitable.
Possible side effects of medical cannabis can include decreased appetite, diarrhoea, mood changes, dizziness, tiredness, and feeling high.
Some products may contain THC, the chemical that produces the ‘high’ and carries additional risks, including the possibility of dependency and psychosis.