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.
READ MORE: Smokers gather at Castle Park for 420 'weed day' event in Bristol
Alister now vapes Mac 1 during the day and Kush Kush in the evening and gets both products posted to him from a London-based pharmacy. Although he is happy with his current prescription he believes there is still not enough awareness among medical professionals regarding the most effective way to use medical cannabis.
Alister said: “With the Mac1, I can use a lot less because it’s a lot more potent. That one, I find is amazing, the only problem is that it’s a hybrid so it’s wonderful during the day but it’s not so great in the evening or if I have severe pain.
“I tend to vape when I notice a change in my mobility but if I have a really bad flare-up I will eat it and use it as a balm in combination with the vape. Cannabis generally works alongside stretching, exercise, massage and hot and cold therapy.
"There is an argument for a more regulated or open market so people can get what they need. There isn't enough awareness about the sensitivities people can have to certain strains, you wouldn't want to go out and just be drinking Wray and Nephew [a 63% ABV rum] constantly.
'A lot of false information'
"Having a choice of strains is often seen as a recreational matter when we know that you're going to need a different strain in the morning to the one you need at night; one to wake you up and one to make you sleepy but both to manage the pain. There's a lot of false information out there and there needs to be a more formalised approach for doctors to gain knowledge on the products.
“When the legislation first came in, it was really expensive and I was hearing figures of £2,000 for a monthly prescription but as more companies started to open, the prices began to drop. Initially I was prescribed THC oil at first which was incredibly expensive and although it worked it didn't help with surges of pain throughout the day and because I was told to take it at night, it caused me to have a lot of mad dreams and kept me awake at night."
He also added that the oil he paid for privately was significantly more expensive than what was available on the black market. Alister said he currently pays £11.50 per gram for the Mac1 strain which is sold at 10 grams per prescription. As a volunteer at the Bristol Cannabis Club, Alister is involved in sponsoring private prescriptions, to make the treatment which is difficult to get on the NHS, more accessible.
Although cannabis is still a Class B drug in the UK, in 2018 an amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act legalised the consumption of cannabis for medicinal purposes when prescribed by a specialist medical professional. The latest guidelines from the National Institute for Healthcare Excellence (NICE) recommends cannabis-based medicinal products for a number of health conditions, including chronic pain. But under the NHS treatment tends to be restrictive with prescriptions only available from specialist doctors after other medication has failed.
While recreational users of the herbal drug often referred to as ‘weed’ gathered in Castle Park last week to celebrate 420, MPs debated the economic contribution of the plant- 59 hectares of which are harvested across the UK in 2021 for scientific and medical purposes. In the parliamentary debate on Medical Cannabis moved by David Mundell last week, the Conservative MP estimated that by 2024 there could be 337,000 potential patients and could save the NHS money due to the potential for medical cannabis to replace opioids.
The NHS currently advises that "very few people in England are likely to get a prescription for medical cannabis" as they are "only likely to benefit a very small number of patients". Its guidance adds: "There is some evidence medical cannabis can help certain types of pain, though this evidence is not yet strong enough to recommend it for pain relief. In some cases, however, it may be prescribed for pain as part of a clinical trial."
It also confirms that only private doctors who are on the General Medical Council’s specialist register are legally able to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use, and that "private prescriptions from outside the UK will not be permissible".
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