'Vaping cannabis every few hours makes me a better mum'

A woman who was in so much pain she couldn't cuddle her kids says vaping cannabis has helped her manager her symptoms - and made her a "better mum".

Jardine McMillan, 40, suffers with hypermobility syndrome, lupus, IBS, and polycystic-ovary syndrome (PCOS) and was prescribed painkiller pregabalin for pain relating to hypermobility syndrome. She took three a day for six years and says it left her “numb”, “depressed” and still in pain.

A friend recommended she try medical cannabis which she now vapes - two different types of flower, one each for day and night. While CBD-only products are legal and readily available in the UK, products containing THC are illegal unless prescribed via the NHS or private clinics.

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Very few people are prescribed medical cannabis on the NHS in the UK - so she had to go private but now has a monthly prescription. She gets her prescription from online clinic Alternaleaf, costing £260 per month.

She uses a cannabis vape every couple of hours - saying while it helps her manage her pain, she doesn't use it enough to get high. Within 12 weeks she had stopped taking the prescribed painkillers and now says medicinal cannabis has helped her regain control of her life.

NHS Online says "there is some evidence medicinal cannabis can help certain types of pain, though this evidence is not yet strong enough to recommend it for pain relief."

Jardine said: “I love being able to enjoy cuddling up with the kids again - before, I'd have to ask them to move because they were hurting me too much. Medical cannabis has improved my life considerably - the kids and I are enjoying our time together more.

“I’m still healing from the years on strong synthetic painkillers and am still experiencing withdrawals, I finally feel that I have some control of my life back."

The NHS website says some people can become addicted to pregabalin if taking it for long period of time and may experience withdrawal when they stop using the painkiller.

“I felt like I was numb on those drugs," said Jardine, "I was depressed and I struggled to get out of bed in the morning and do basic things like cooking and cleaning.

“At first my mum was worried, but I assured her that I’m not using medical cannabis to get ‘stoned’ - it never gets to that point - it’s just enough for my body and mind to feel relaxed.

“But as soon she saw the difference it was making to my everyday life, she was supportive - she could see for herself.”

Jardine, from Twechar, Dunbartonshire, was prescribed pregabalin in 2018 after explaining her symptoms to her doctor. Struggling with hypermobility syndrome, lupus and polycystic-ovary syndrome (PCOS), Jardine says she was in constant pain.

Lupus is a long-term condition with no cure causing joint pain, rashes and fatigue, and PCOS can cause fertility problems and irregular periods. Prior to being prescribed pregabalin, Jardine was prescribed gabapentin for two years from 2016 and undertook physiotherapy from 2014 to 2016 but says it made her joint issues worse.

She says taking three tablets per day left her feeling depressed and still struggling with pain when she tried to do daily tasks or cuddle her kids. After speaking to her friend in January, she says she realised medical cannabis was legal and put her concerns to one side to investigate it as an option.

She said previously she’d been concerned about using an illegal drug as a mother – but knowing it was legal for medicinal purposes put her mind at ease. Cannabis products containing THC are legal for medicinal purposes if prescribed through the NHS or via a private clinic.

Following a consultation, she was prescribed two different types of flowers to vape – one for day and one for night. Now Jardine says medical cannabis has made life with her kids enjoyable again and says she’s happier, relaxed and more patient.

“My children and mum have noticed how much happier and relaxed I am. I’m finding I’m far more patient with the kids,” said Jardine.

“If I had known medical cannabis was legal in 2018, there’s no way I would have gone on those strong painkillers”

“I explained my symptoms to the specialist doctor at Alternaleaf. He was confident that he’d be able to help me, and he certainly did. I’m a different person.

“I am now able to get out of bed, to wash and to clean the house. Before, I’d have to pick one of those things because my pain was just too much to bear.”

Dr Anup Mathew, medical director at Alternaleaf, said: “Jardine’s story is quite incredible, yet sadly very common. Medical cannabis can be life changing for patients, much like it has been for Jardine.

“However, without being prescribed through private clinics like Alternaleaf, she would never have been able to access it. In the UK, only a handful of prescriptions have been written mainly to treat very rare forms of epilepsy, MS and during chemotherapy.

“In fact, there are over 50 conditions that medical cannabis can treat, including chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, migraines and many more. Medical cannabis could absolutely transform our health system, but in order for this to happen, negative stigmas must be changed.”