A Bristol man who suffers from chronic pain is now prescribed medical cannabis as his main form of treatment. Alister Flowers, who lives in Easton, was one of around 17,000 people were legally prescribed medical cannabis in the UK last year.
The 43-year-old, who has suffered with chronic pain since his late teens, said he had to give up full time employment several years ago when the pain became so severe that he had to spend long periods of time on his back. He said he was previously prescribed a variety of medication for his back pain but either found the pills ineffective or to cause debilitating side effects.
Alister now vapes two different strains of the cannabis flower, which he pays for privately. Although the medicine is available on the NHS, the majority of UK prescriptions are from the private sector, but this could change as research and awareness around the legislation increases.
