Gerard’s Story: From opioid dependence to effective relief with medical cannabis

From a very young age, Gerard has faced challenges that have shaped both his life and work. Whilst full diagnoses came only recently, he has long struggled with his mental health, battling heavy anxiety and PTSD.

On top of this, Gerard was also diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and encountered a back injury from his rock climbing days that required surgery. This resulted in a prolonged dependence on painkillers - which he found to be mostly ineffective.

Unconvinced by traditional pharmaceutical treatments and their side effects, he decided it was time to look for alternative treatment options and landed on medical cannabis. Through the support from the doctors and clinic staff at Releaf, Gerard has finally found a treatment plan that effectively addresses both his physical pain and mental stability.

Would you mind sharing a little bit about your life and your health journey?

Sure, my name is Gerard, but most people call me Ged. I'm a full-time photographer and an artist. My wife is due with our first baby in about 6 weeks time, and we’re in the middle of repainting and decorating the house for the new arrival.

We are based in Liverpool. My studio is at home. I do analogue photography and alternative developing processes. I love to make cyanotypes - blue-and-white photos - and I also do artwork alongside them.

As far as my health journey goes, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster.

I’ve struggled with mental health since I was about eight or nine. In the '90s, mental illness just wasn’t acknowledged the same way. By 2004-2005, my symptoms got severe, and I was diagnosed with one thing after another.

Four years ago, I was diagnosed as autistic, which explained a lot of what I went through during my childhood and teenage years, but never understood. The possibility of me having PTSD was mentioned by a doctor around the same time the autism diagnosis came through.

I knew something was wrong, but it wasn’t until I explained my symptoms to a specialist that it clicked, and a formal diagnosis of PTSD also came about 2 years ago. I also have insomnia because of my mental health. I take melatonin, but it takes an hour or two to kick in, and sometimes it’s not enough.

I was prescribed a range of pharmaceutical options and did therapy to help with my mental health struggles, but unfortunately, neither worked - they actually made things worse.

I also used to be a rock climber, but I broke my back, an injury which originated as a slipped disk, and ended up having to have surgery about 4 years ago - bone grafting, rods, screws - the full works. I was on Tramadol for about six years to help with the pain relating to my back issues, I started at a high dose the day after surgery and eventually tapered down to where I am now. 

I tried other medications, but none worked in the way that I needed. I wasn't able to work, my art suffered, and it affected my relationships. I was desperate for something that could help me regain some control over my mental health and physical pain.

When I quit my last job a few years back (due mostly to my health issues), I decided to really focus on my photography to build up my skills and portfolio. Now I am able to support myself through my photography, which is a real dream come true.

When did you become aware that medical cannabis was legally available in the UK?

I remember hearing the story of why it became legal for medicinal use in 2018 - the case of Alfie Dingley, the young boy and his mum who had to go to America for epilepsy treatment because there were no options in the UK. They went back and forth until they won, which was great.

So, I was aware that cannabis was legal for medical use for a while, but I found that finding the right information about medical cannabis access was difficult - until the last year or so.

Even though I had started seeing ads on social media and in more mainstream media, my doctors were very hesitant, even resistant, to prescribing it. I had a doctor tell me it was still totally illegal, even though I explained that it had been legalised for medical use. Mixed messages all around.

And why did you choose Releaf?

I had considered medical cannabis for quite a while, and had researched all the major clinics - but I kept coming back to Releaf. It wasn't just the amazing reviews and patient testimonials, I also found the blog and educational resources super appealing.

When I finally took the plunge and started the sign-up process, I was pleasantly surprised at just how easy and streamlined it all was.

I did the little preliminary questionnaire, clicked a button to give access to my medical records, and it was all automated. Within 24 hours, my records were there. It was actually the first time I’d ever seen my full medical record, so that alone was worth it.

My first appointment had to be rescheduled, but only so I could see someone a little more specialised in my condition. But when I had the consultation, the doctor asked about my symptoms and what was going on, and he agreed medical cannabis was a good option for me.

What was your initial consultation with Releaf like?

It felt like any other medical appointment, but I have to say, the doctor I saw was great. He didn't emphasise anything or making a big deal out of it. He just asked all the right questions, made me feel at ease, and was very patient with me. 

I think I was probably less 'weirded out' than others might be because I’ve always been upfront with my GPs and mental health professionals. I’d tell them I use cannabis because it helps, and they’d just say, "Okay, well, we don’t like it because it’s illegal, but if it’s helping you, whatever" - off the record, of course.

So being honest about cannabis wasn’t new for me. But the part that threw me was when the doctor said, "I really think that medical cannabis could be a great addition to your current treatment regime." That caught me off guard. I never thought I’d hear that from a doctor.

The prescription was ready to order straight after the consultation was finished. So I paid for the prescription, and it arrived two days later, so fast. The last few deliveries have been even quicker.

When my first prescription arrived, I just looked at it and thought, "This is different".

I hadn't even smelled it yet. Then I looked up the grower for one of my flowers, Glass Pharms, and I was absolutely gobsmacked by their facility. The quality and consistency are just on another level. The ethos of the place is fantastic as well, it is all very impressive.

How has your day-to-day life changed over the last few months since starting treatment?

I’m in my third month now. It’s been great. I have been prescribed two different medical cannabis flower options - one for the daytime, which is more uplifting, and another for the evening to help me sleep.

The daytime strain is relaxing, but still allows me to get stuff done. Right now, I’m decorating the house, and moving things around between my studio and the bins. I’m not just sitting on the couch, eating everything in sight.

The evening strain helps me wind down, allows my body and mind to relax, and now I actually go to sleep before 1 AM, which used to be very rare. If we compare it to what I used to be like - I was sleeping maybe three to four hours a night, and even then, I’d wake up multiple times. Now, I’m getting seven to eight hours.

The sleep is also much more settled and much deeper. I'm waking up way less than I used to, and when I do wake up, I can just turn over and go back to sleep.

I have also found that my medical cannabis treatment has really helped me deal with the withdrawal symptoms I would experience anytime I tried to stop taking my painkillers. I’d become physically dependent even though I wasn't abusing it, just taking it as prescribed - but if I didn’t take it, I’d get sick. 

The difference is honestly amazing. I’m okay, not 100%, but compared to before, it's night and day. When something flares up, whether that be physical pain issues or something more on the mental health side of things, I can handle it better.

The flexibility of the dosing for medical cannabis has been amazing for me also. All of the medications I was previously prescribed require strict timing, and you have to be very careful with the dosage - but with medical cannabis, I can adjust my dosage to my needs a little more.

The main PTSD symptoms - the flashbacks, anxiety, and emotional instability - can come out of nowhere. If I feel them creeping in, I use my vaporiser, and after 30 minutes, it’s like my brain just re-prioritises. It’s not like suppressing or bottling things up - it just helps me, I guess, 'reset' my headspace, and I can deal with things a little easier.

How does your prescribed Releaf medical cannabis compare to the cannabis you had tried previously?

I was really surprised by the difference.

In the past, I have been able to source decent black market cannabis from people I trusted, but this was really on and off, and also a little hit-and-miss. It was even worse when I had to buy from people I didn't know. Sometimes, I’d end up with something that made me feel pretty awful - heart pounding, sheer anxiety - the opposite of what I needed.

It was truly like a lightbulb moment, that first evening I tried medical cannabis for the first time. I was with my wife, and we were just sat there on the couch. I just looked over and said, "I don’t feel any anxiety or adrenaline at all," - I was almost a bit weirded out by it, by the fact that I felt normal, or even better than normal.

I didn’t have cortisol and adrenaline pumping through my body, and my mind wasn’t racing. I was just sitting there, watching TV with my wife, feeling great.

I had two doses in that first evening, to help gauge where I was at in terms of how much I was going to use. The doctor explained to me that medical cannabis treatment involves a little trial and error, which gave me the confidence to play around with dosages a little, without feeling overwhelmed.

If you think of it as a line on a graph, street cannabis is a sharp spike straight up, whereas my prescribed cannabis is much more gradual. There’s no overwhelming intensity. Even in my first month, I reduced how much I was putting in my vaporiser, and it’s still working just as well. It’s very hard to explain how good it is without just repeating myself, but it really has changed things for me.

Have you noticed any side effects?

Not really. I definitely enjoy food more, and have battled a bit of the 'munchies', but apart from that, it’s just reducing my symptoms. I’m not panicking, not freaking out, not getting sick or stumbling around.

How have friends and family reacted when you mentioned you have started medical cannabis treatment?

My wife has been truly amazing throughout this entire process. When we met, she had no knowledge of cannabis apart from what she’d been told in her hometown, which is quite a rural area. So, you know, in those places, it’s still seen as this illegal, scary thing - like a boogeyman. She had no idea. But she saw what I was like with it and without it, and how I was on other medications.

When we were talking about whether I should sign up, she just said, "I think you're better on cannabis than on medication, or just trying to go without."  She has been completely converted by seeing the difference in me, which has also filled me with confidence that I am finally on the right track.

How was the transition from smoking street cannabis to vaping medical cannabis for you?

It’s night and day. I’d say the best way to describe it is that vaping feels cleaner.

If you’ve smoked before, you’ll know that harsh feeling in your lungs, that heavy, sometimes unpredictable, rushing high. I have found vaping to be completely different. The effects from vaping are smoother, more consistent - and just as strong, but without the intensity or unpredictability.

How do you feel about having a medical cannabis card? 

It’s important to me, and it does bring me a much higher level of confidence. If I’m out and about, and I need to use my vaporiser and a cop walks past me, I can just hand them the card, give them the information, and be calm and cool about it.

It shows that I’m being treated by a doctor, and the police have a way to check that I am the person on the card. My first card actually turned up with my photo slightly misaligned - it wasn't a huge issue, but I reached out to the patient support team just to let them know. They asked me to email over a new photo, and within a week, I had a new card arrive in the post, totally free of charge.

What advice would you give to those self-medicating, newly diagnosed with PTSD, or struggling with chronic pain and opioids?

If you’re self-medicating and dealing with chronic pain, take two weeks’ worth of what you’d normally spend on cannabis and use it for the assessment. There's really nothing to lose, because with Releaf, if you don’t get approved, you’ll get your money back. But if you do, it’s insanely different.

It’s cheaper, too. Street cannabis is more expensive gram for gram than what I get from Releaf. If you’re currently using the black market, what you’re paying will cover the doctor’s appointments and your prescription. It’s a no-brainer.

For people with PTSD, I’d say, “don’t give up hope!”. Get as much information as possible about all the different treatment options. For people with chronic pain, I’d much rather use this than be addicted to opioids. And for people self-medicating, I’d say it’s cheaper, the quality is better, you actually know what you’re getting, and you’re not being ripped off with a dodgy batch.