Is There Anyone (UK) On The Forum who Is Prescribed Medical Marijuana?

I really wonder how Drs in can give prescriptions for Oramoph and Tramadol but not medical marijuana....
Does anyone have any thoughts?

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-...rosis-symptoms-hereditary-cause-b2239253.html

 

I tried some gummies a while ago and they exacerbated PEM rather than relieving it. But I never found cannabis particularly relaxing, even when smoking bushels of the stuff in student days.

 

I haven't heard of anyone being prescribed it. Ideally, it needs a major trial made up of cohorts with different pain conditions to establish an evidence base, otherwise there's the risk that 30 years down the line it'll turn out that billions have been spent worldwide on something that doesn't really work for most people, or it's yet another drug that causes as many problems as it solves.

Cannabis in the form of both edibles and oils made me feel so much worse that I wouldn't be volunteering, though!

 

I lived in Portugal where it was legal. My doctor was hesitant to prescribe to someone with orthodontic intolerance as it can effect that. My own small experiment with non medically prescribed weed didn’t work out very well either. I felt much worse.

 

It is legally prescribed in the U.K., doctors (neurologists, pain specialists etc) can prescribe it outside of the NHS approved conditions, but only privately. So you’d have to pay for the medication cost which is not cheap (but looking at sapphire medical, they’ve reduced prices a lot now through the access scheme). I looked into it all a few years ago due to the severity of my pain. I may still try it in the next few years if my pain doesn’t get better. There’s a few clinics. Eg the fibromyalgia clinic, and the sapphire clinic: https://www.sapphireclinics.com/

 

Thanks for the link @lunarainbows. The guy in the article is paying £300 a month...but I guess that enables him to work and have an active life.

This is interesting: https://wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.co...discusses the future role of medical cannabis.

 

Cannabis is not legal in my state aside from a few conditions, but in Seattle, where it is legal throughout Washington State, I once went to a state-run cannabis dispensary. I asked the bud tender for a product good for pain. She suggested a very low THC box of mints, 3% THC, as I recall. It was great for reducing pain and inflammation.

There are so many different types of cannabis, some of which can be used to relieve particular ailments. I think cannabis as medicine is very promising, but in the U.S., it is idiotically in the same class as heroin, which greatly limits research.

 

Sweets that reduce pain- a seriously good idea.
I believe CBD gummies, oils etc are only legal in UK if all THC has been removed..

 

As far as I know there has to be a small amount of THC present otherwise it has absolutely no medicinal properties.

 

That's the problem with medical marijuana. There's no real evidence base for it. And it's hard to research because of legal issues.

 

I agree—but a proper trial might be a useful exercise, as it's possible it does offer therapeutic benefit to some people suffering chronic pain. Doctors will quite rightly remain sceptical until they see some decent quality evidence.

It's even possible the unique legal situation could be turned to advantage, by allowing research as long as it's funded by manufacturers and the trial design approved by a government panel or similar.

 

https://releafapp.com/michigan-research-study/

A psychologist with the U of Michigan is recruiting California-only subjects with either FM, rheumatoid arthritis, or osteo-arthritis of the hip of knee for a study comparing formulations with, as far as I can tell either:

1 to 1 ratio of CBD to THC if you answer the question: your pain interferes with life activities a great deal.
and another lesser THC ratio if you answer the question on pain interference as "somewhat" interfering.

EDIT: This is the product I would receive with giving the answer "somewhat" a Protab Recover which is offered by the company LEVEL, a sponsor of the research study https://levelexperience.com/products/recover/
Also, various individual terpines may be compared.

For me, someone who qualifies for the study, my complaints are:

there is no phone number or email to ask questions about the study.

There is no MD associated with the study.

You are to take the tablets in the morning and evening.

Most common side effects are tiredness---why would I want that in the morning?

The website study material is not proofread adequately. Smacks of amateurism.

Cannabis hasn't worked for my FM chronic pain in the past. At best it's a distraction.

 

I’m not sure how a trial of marijuana can be blinded because it is obviously psychoactive. I believe that the same problem occurred with the trials of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression.

Another important consideration is that many strains of marijuana exist and each has different psychotropic effects. For example, indica-based strains tend to be more relaxing while sativa-based ones tend to be more stimulating. A trial could only test one, or at most two or three, promising strains (identified based on prior feedback from patients who use marijuana), but it would be impossible to test all of these.

Then there is the issue of THC content, which can change from a batch of one strain to the next depending on growing conditions.

 

LEVEL is the company supplying the U of Michigan study drug.

Here is the formulation that is supplied to subjects answering the pain interfering with activities as "somewhat" interfering. They will receive the Protab Recover https://levelexperience.com/products/recover/

I can go out and buy ten tablets today.

Research as marketing?

 

Today my pain has been so severe that I would have contacted any clinic that prescribed cannabis for pain.

I have osteoarthritis everywhere ( hEDS diagnosis from geneticist that linked it to arthritis) and the pain has significantly worsened since the covid vaccine. My knees are bone on bone, but two senior orthopaedic surgeons will not operate because of concern that I may be reactive to the material in the new knee. The notes on my reaction to the booster were of considerable concern.

My back and one hip is agony. I was alone today so had to move for anything I needed. I am aware that many people live alone in pain so their pain must be unremittingly horrendous.
I have had some relief from facet injections done privately when NHS deemed them too risky but again, they are now wearing off which is disappointing. Both thumbs need splints overnight. Neck and shoulders are often painful.
Tramadol, buprenorphine, codydramol, amitriptyline, celebrex all tried unsuccessfully.

My experience of NHS pain clinic has been hopeless with mindfulness being the final recommended treatment. My next step is private physio. Sorry for this long description but it's just to say how unbearable severe pain is and how difficult successful pain management is.

Medical cannabis will be on my list when I can next get to see a GP even if it won't be prescribed. Thank you @lunarainbows for the link to a clinic: it's noted in case of need.