Andy’s Story: Building better days with a Releaf medical cannabis prescription

Can you please start by telling us a bit about yourself?

I live on my own now, I’m right on the corner between Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and I’ve been quite deliberate in how I’ve lived. I stopped drinking alcohol in 1980, and gave up meat in 2000, and I didn’t even start self-medicating with cannabis until I was about 38. Before that, life was too busy. I didn’t need anything to slow me down. I needed to keep moving.

I used to do power supply work at outdoor venues. I’d contract to a company on a self-employed basis. I had a motorhome I built myself, so I’d get myself to the venue, do what I could, and if I needed help lifting heavy cables or plugging in big connections, I’d ask someone on site.

Once it was all up and running, it was mostly just babysitting the power.

It all started back in ’83. I left a festival in Cornwall and went to Glastonbury. I ended up doing 17 years at Glastonbury, powering the outdoor venues. Then I moved on to another company, Showpower. They did heating and cooling for outdoor spaces.

I remember going to the Roundhouse in London. Back then, it was better known as the “Coldhouse”, as it was just so cold in there. They brought me in for a meeting, and asked if we could heat the space. So I designed and built a completely portable hot water heating system.

That’s probably my claim to fame. I made the Roundhouse warm enough to host proper events.

And when did your health first start to deteriorate? 

The rheumatoid arthritis came on in 2003 and I’ve had it ever since. It started after a car accident. I was going about a 90-mile-an-hour when the impact happened. It took me nine months to learn how to walk again. And after that, the rheumatoid arthritis just took over. I became completely crippled. I felt totally useless and I was so depressed.

I was living in Australia at the time, and getting black market cannabis there wasn’t a problem. It helped me through a lot of awful days. But when I came back to England, it became much harder to get. I did find some sources here and there, but eventually, the COVID pandemic hit. Everything got locked down. I gave it up and thought, well, I’ve got to find a way to get through this.

Years of pain, lockdown, everything piling on, it added a whole other layer of stress.

All in all, I think COVID changed my life completely. I used to be able to go out and get some weed, which helped a lot with the rheumatoid arthritis and with my anxiety issues. But during lockdown, that all changed.

We all became prisoners of our homes, for a crime none of us committed. I never had a problem with anxiety until then. Now I’ve got a terrible anxiety problem. I worry about going out. About who I’m talking to. About what I’m saying, and why. All of that came from two years of lockdown.

And how have you found things on the work front, navigating all this while living with a disability?

The problem is, most disabled people aren’t even allowed to work, or employers won’t take them on. I ran into that when I came back to England and tried to get help from the DWP. They just said, “Oh, you’ve been out of the country for two years, so you’re not entitled to anything.”

Even though I was clearly struggling just to live, I was still expected to work. But that’s tricky, because while you do have a specific illness, it’s not always something they can make adjustments for. Especially when the condition is somewhat fluid - some days are good, some days are terrible. Insurers get funny about that.

At that point, I wasn’t even in a wheelchair. So, trying to get insurance cover for work just didn’t fly. Employers don’t want to take on the responsibility if your needs are unpredictable. They call it “reasonable adjustments,” don’t they? 

But when you’re dealing with a condition that changes daily, the only one left without support is the person who needs it most.

I also have dyslexia. I’ve managed it better over the years. In ’94 I got into computers, and discovered spellcheck. As long as I had a rough idea how the word sounded, I could get the right one.

But forms still scare me. The whole idea of filling things out, getting it wrong, being penalised. I get PIP, I get my pension, I get disability allowance. If I try to earn more, I’ll be taxed, and then I have to deal with all the tax forms.

Do you still find chances to use your engineering skills?

Yes, whenever I can. I recently built myself an electric tricycle to help me get around. I finally finished it recently, and it’s been brilliant. It’s helped my anxiety, too.

Tomorrow, I’ve got an appointment at the JR in Oxford. I’ve got a cyst on my tongue that needs to be looked at. Normally, I’d be completely wound up before something like that. Worrying about parking, accessibility, crowds, the lot.

But now I’ve got the trike. I can park my van, hop on the trike, and off I go. I can ride around the hospital, get to my departments, and I actually look forward to it. Everyone stares at the trike and says, “Wow, did you build that yourself?”

The truth is, most disability equipment is made by people who don’t know what it’s like to be disabled. They don’t get it. Everything’s too heavy, too awkward, too low to the ground, doesn’t fold up properly, and doesn’t fit in your car.

So I built my own thing. And it works.

And to be honest, I’m half-expecting a letter from the NHS telling me I’m not authorised to be riding my own trike on their property, or that I’m not wearing the correct PPE.

There’s a gap in the market. I built something that works, but the rules get in the way. I’m not trying to do anything wrong. I just made something that helps me because no one else could.

Can you talk us through what led up to starting the Releaf process?

I’d actually stopped self-medicating with cannabis altogether since COVID. I was relying on a good quality diet. I’d seen a nutritionist. I was managing things as best I could naturally.

But then I developed cellulitis in my legs. My legs were badly swollen. It took the doctors the best part of nine months to even realise they could do something about it. Once we got over that, I got on a scale and saw that I was 20 kilos overweight. I’d been doing nothing but sitting around eating cake. I always said I wouldn’t go over 100 kilos. The pressure on your ankles, knees, hips. It’s too much.

So I addressed all of that. Changed what I was eating. Got moving again. 

We thought gluten might be a problem, so I gave that up. I also cut out lactose, and only use lactose-free milk now. Sugar was another issue. My diet had too much of it, so I stopped eating it and swapped over to maple syrup instead. It’s still sweet, but not as harsh on the body.

So I worked to bring it down. Now I’m just under 100 again, and I determined to stay there. 

Then a friend rang me and asked if I’d heard of Releaf. I said no, not really. He said, “It might help you.” So I started doing some research, and was quite impressed with Releaf.

And how did you find the Releaf application? Was that stressful in the same way as you find tax forms and the like?

Honestly, it was all very easy, which surprised me.

It was mostly just tick boxes, I think. Then I had the consultation, and that was that. I was accepted. I thought, “Oh, that was so simple.”

So, how have you found the first few months of medical cannabis treatment with Releaf?

I’ve been a patient since September 2024. Before my friend mentioned that medical cannabis was legal, and that he was finding good results through Releaf, I had no idea it was even a legal treatment option in the UK.

I found that my medical cannabis oil really does help. In lots of ways.

My sleep is better. It hasn’t been a monumental change, but definitely better. It’s better quality sleep, even if it’s still quite short some nights. More than that, I’m just dealing with life better than I have been in a long time.

It’s like having another tool in the toolbox. That’s how I think about it.

I still use other pharmaceutical options - I self-inject a drug called Enbrel, which is an anti-TNF medication. I also take sulphasalazine, which helps calm the immune system. But even with those two, when a flare-up hits, I still can’t deal with it.

And when the pain hits, all my regular doctors ever say is “take some paracetamol”. But I can take handfuls of paracetamol and it makes no difference. It just upsets my stomach.

Now, I’ve got this other tool. I can take a small amount, usually around 0.2 to 0.3 millilitres. Maybe a couple of times a week. Not even every day.

But if I’m down, tired, or in pain, I know I can take it. And if nothing else, I’ll feel a little more chilled out, and ready to go to bed, and a few hours will pass. Then I usually wake up feeling better. That’s something. That’s enough sometimes.

Have there still been setbacks, even with the new treatment?

The truth of living with a chronic condition is that you start each day hoping things might feel a little bit better, but that isn't always the case. 

I was recently in the hospital because my leg was swollen and painful. They did all sorts of scans, even an X-ray of my chest, but they didn’t actually look at the leg, which was the problem. I had to go back to my rheumatologist for a steroid injection in the end. 

My GP has finally given me some steroid tablets for emergencies.

Without them, I just feel stuck. Like a lame, useless duck. I can’t even get out to my van some days.

Going to bed feeling tired and getting some proper sleep makes all the difference. When I’m resting properly, my legs aren’t carrying the weight for a few hours. That alone makes a big impact.

So yeah, on the whole, I wake up in a better mood now. I still get a bit of pain in the mornings, especially before I get moving, but these days it feels like it’s going to improve, not like it’s just stuck.

Before starting with my medical cannabis oil, there was nothing else to reach for. No extra tool in the toolbox. I'd wake up and my feet would hurt so much I’d just lie there thinking, maybe I’ll stay in bed today. And that’s your whole day gone. Written off.

It’s also had quite a big impact on the mental toll that my arthritis and other health conditions have had on me in the past. It helps quiet the depression, and gives me much more hope for the day, and the coming days. 

With my background in engineering, I find myself thinking that it’s like trying to start an old engine. I can feel my body and mind starting to turn over, and like I used to say when I was working on engines, “When there’s smoke, there's hope!”

I would have liked to have been prescribed some of the medical cannabis flower to go along with the oil, but unfortunately, due to other health conditions, the Releaf specialist who signed off on my prescription decided that it was best for me to stick purely with the medical cannabis oil.

And the doctor clearly explained why oil was the better option for you?

Yes, mainly because of the COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). I understand why the doctor made the decision that they made.

To be honest, I’ve never liked pharmaceutical medications. I’ve always preferred natural things. Most tablets are full of chemicals that don’t leave your body properly.

If something’s natural, it goes in, does what it needs to do, and comes back out again. It doesn’t leave bits behind that mess with your system.

I’d rather give up all my tablets than give up my medical cannabis oil prescription.

Have you had any side effects from the medical cannabis oil?

None. No side effects at all.

Most of the pharmaceutical options I have been prescribed in the past have caused me quite major problems. Stomach pain, bowel issues, and frequency issues.

They go through my system and disrupt everything on the way out. But my Releaf medical cannabis doesn’t do that. There are no knock-on problems.

Have you shared your experience with others who might find relief with a medical cannabis prescription?

Yeah. My friend has rheumatoid arthritis. She came to visit over the weekend, and I asked if she’d ever thought of trying medical cannabis treatment options.

She said, “No, I take enough things already.”

But her granddaughter has started having seizures. She’s only 17. It came on suddenly this year. She just drops into a seizure out of nowhere. I asked straight away, “Has she tried for a medical cannabis prescription?” At first, her mum wasn’t keen. But after my friend went to visit, and they had more chats about it, they decided to look into it.

They’re waiting for more scan results and updates from the hospital.

It’s really hard. And when something like that happens to someone so young, just starting in life, it’s even harder.

And finally, how would you say your health is now?

Better since starting with Releaf, but not perfect. My ankles are giving me grief with the arthritis, but that can change to my knees, shoulders, really any joint. 

My iron levels have been low for a while now, so they want me to go through the whole camera process again. But I’ve done that before. They never find anything. The worst part is the prep. The stuff they make you take to clear out your system is awful. It wipes me out for weeks. It takes months to feel normal again after that.

But they don’t see that part. They don’t see the recovery.

So I’ve decided I won’t do any more of those invasive tests. The price I pay afterwards just isn’t worth it. The doctors don’t think about the day-to-day. Just the procedure. Come in, do the scan, off you go. No thought about the preparation it takes to get there, or how long it takes to recover afterwards.

For me, it’s six weeks of disruption every time. So I just say no now. It’s not worth the toll it takes.

For more information about medical cannabis treatments for the conditions mentioned in this Patient Story, please see medical cannabis for arthritis.