Gareth’s story: Living more freely and travelling with medical cannabis

Having self-medicated with cannabis in the past, he’s been a Releaf patient for two years now and credits his treatment for letting him “live more freely”. He also enjoys how he can now travel with added peace of mind, despite his initial apprehension about taking his medical cannabis through airport security. 

Let’s learn more about his story, his experience of flying to France with his prescription and why he describes getting a Releaf prescription as a “delight”. 

What was life like before your treatment? 

When I had depression, I would have two, three or four days in bed or in the house, not going out.

As well as PTSD, I do have some persistent physical pain from historic injuries. That's not necessarily what my prescription was based around, but they're not two entirely separate problems. 

I now know that pain keeps the nervous system alert and trauma increases muscle tension and sensitivity to pain. And disturbed sleep intensifies both of those things. So it can become a self-reinforcing cycle if you're not careful, in which the body never fully feels comfortable, and the mind never feels completely safe. 

What was the hardest part of living with your symptoms before treatment?

It was the inconsistency of my mental health. Basically, I would have two or three relatively good days sometimes, and those are the days where friends might see me up the pub and say to me, "Oh, there's nothing wrong with you, Gareth…you're up here having fun!" 

But I knew in the back of my head that maybe in one or two or three days' time, I'd have a crash. And that's when nobody would see me, so they didn't know I wasn't well.

What made you interested in trying medical cannabis? 

I followed the legalisation of medical cannabis avidly because I was using cannabis as a tool for self-medication, and I was having to get it from wherever I could. 

That side of life was challenging, especially with never knowing where I could find it, what quality it was going to be, how much it was going to cost and the types of people that I would have to meet to get it. 

Once I saw what Releaf was doing, it was exciting. It’s now a delight to have available as a legally approved patient. 

How has your experience of medical cannabis been?

My experience of prescribed medical cannabis is not that it miraculously removes all pain or erases what actually happened to me. The value is that it can turn down the volume sufficiently for me to live more freely. 

Physically, for example, it can reduce the intensity or intrusiveness of persistent pain. It can make flare-ups more tolerable. It can ease some of the tension, some of the physical guarding that accompanies both pain and trauma and it allows the body to settle more readily at the end of the day.

How has your Releaf treatment affected your relationships?

Well, my long-term partner has noticed a difference. 

We've been together for 14 years now and I was self-medicating when we met. Not having the stigma or fear of being – or doing – something illegal has made me more relaxed. 

You mentioned the stigma. Do you think this is becoming less of a problem for people who take medical cannabis?

I don't have to look over my shoulder anymore. 

When I first set up my business in mental health, Mental Health Matrix, I was always worried about what would happen if somebody found out that I took cannabis. 

How ridiculous a thought that is now! So the growing awareness throughout Britain and the world is really great to see.

Have you ever travelled abroad with your prescription?

Yes. For me, an important benefit of medical cannabis is the ability to take it to France, where I spend a lot of time. 

How was your first time taking your prescription to France?

Even though I'd read the page on the Releaf website, I was still terrified the first time. 

I downloaded the travel certificate, I sealed the boxes and I had it all in a lockable travel container. 

I took all the precautions that I could. I even rang Bristol Airport and said: "I'm coming through with medical cannabis. Do I need to declare it in advance?" They said: "No, no, no. Just come along." 

I wasn’t convinced until I got to the security part of Bristol Airport. 

I had it in a separate tray with a certificate on top, and I told the guy: "This is my medical cannabis, and here's my certificate." He said: "I don't care about that." and he just pushed it through, and it came straight through the other end.

And how is travelling back to the UK from France with your prescription? 

Really straightforward. Once, at Béziers airport, my bag set off a scanner and I told them I had medical cannabis in there. But they said, “We’re not after that – you’ve got a jar of something.” 

They pulled out a jar of fig jam that I’d bought in a French supermarket that was over the liquid allowance. So they confiscated my jam but didn’t bat an eyelid about my medical cannabis. I had a little giggle with the customs people about that. 

I even now have my Releaf refer-a-friend referral code proudly displayed on my own Mental Health Matrix website, where I help people with a wide range of mental health issues and life challenges. I’ve even had a few gift card vouchers from it already!

If you would like to learn more about medical cannabis treatment options for the conditions mentioned in Gareth’s story, please see medical cannabis for PTSD.