Maruis’s Story: Stability and Relief with Medical Cannabis Treatment

Can you please tell us more about your health conditions and how they affect your daily life?

I have unfortunately suffered through a fair bit of trauma in my life, which has led to diagnoses of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The day-to-day impact of these issues can be challenging, and overall pretty exhausting. I suffer from extremely vivid night terrors, which means I often wake up in a state of panic and then struggle to fall back asleep.

Over the years, I have been prescribed a long list of different pharmaceutical drugs. At this point, after years of more ‘conventional’ treatment, I think I have been prescribed something like nine different options. The side effects that I have experienced from these medications have taken a toll, both physically and mentally.

From hot flushes to heart palpitations, extreme bouts of sweating and dizziness, and issues with my libido - the whole thing made me feel like I was going through some form of male menopause.

The combination of my health issues and the side effects of these medications made it very difficult for me to function in my day-to-day life, and I was kind of 'over it'.

How did you first find out about medical cannabis and Releaf?

I was actually watching a documentary that followed American Army veterans who were suffering from PTSD as they began medical cannabis treatment, and that really got me interested. The documentary showed just how impactful medical cannabis can be in treating mental health conditions, and it piqued my curiosity.

But this was before I had any idea that it was legal here in the UK. I started buying black-market cannabis, and although it did help somewhat, I didn't like the feeling that I was doing something illegal, and that I didn't have any idea or real control what I was putting into my body.

A few weeks later, I was scrolling Instagram when an advert for Releaf popped up. I thought, "Oh, hold on a minute. This changes things. I can do this and know that what I am being prescribed is regulated, safe, and I know what's in it."

I watched a few of the videos on the Releaf Instagram page, and it all looked so well laid out, so professional and polished. I just thought, "I have to see if I might be eligible” and here we are today.

And what was the start of your journey with Releaf like?

I am not going to lie - I have been totally blown away by the service from Releaf.

It took maybe two or three days from signing up to having my initial consultation, which was fantastic. Dr Michal Modestowicz saw me, and wow, what a great doctor.

Dr Modestowicz made me feel completely at ease. From the very beginning, I felt comfortable sharing my experiences with him, and he really listened. On top of that, he made me feel like a human being. He didn't judge me, and he didn't make me feel like I was just another patient in the system.

We had an in-depth chat for about 30 minutes, going over my medical history and discussing my current health issues. He looked through my medical records and asked me all the relevant questions, and it just felt like he genuinely cared. He also explained everything I needed to know about medical cannabis, how it works within the body, and why it is potentially beneficial for my specific health conditions.

My medication arrived about four or five days after my initial consultation, and the packaging and everything else were so well put together. It looks almost 'posh,' and I have loved showing it to my friends.

Since then, I have had four additional follow-up consultations, and each time, I have felt exceptionally well cared for.

How has your medical cannabis treatment been going so far?

It's going really well. Although some changes were needed from my initial prescription, I have found what feels like the perfect balance now.

The first two flower options didn't work perfectly for me. One gave me a runny nose, and the other didn't control my night terrors. I brought this up to the doctor during my first follow-up consultation, and he suggested trying two different cultivars.

I now have one for the daytime and another for the night. The nighttime option works wonders to keep my night terrors at bay, and I am waking up so much more refreshed. The daytime option was quite a surprise. I am amazed at how incredibly alert, productive, and functional it makes me feel, so much better than the pharmaceutical options I was prescribed previously.

I'm blown away that I'm 45, and I live in a country where cannabis is now legal for medical treatments. With all the trauma I've been through, to be where I am now and to say that, yes, I can find something that works for me, and it's helping my quality of life. I feel quite overwhelmed by it, and thinking about it actually makes me a bit emotional.

I've only been with Releaf for six months, and then I think back to all the suffering and all the stuff I went through. I mean, I went through so many drug changes and was under psychiatric care for ages, and I'm proud to say today that I'm on no prescription drugs at all. Yes, I've learned about mindfulness, meditation, and exercise, and I'm doing all those things, but actually, getting something tangible that improves my life and makes things easier for me is amazing. 

Life is back to normal, libido is back to normal, orgasms are back to normal, my appetite has finally returned to its normal state, and the hot flushes have completely gone. I'm back to being me.

The other thing I need to mention is that it's helping with the pain related to my osteoarthritis, although that's not what I was originally prescribed medical cannabis for. I used to have to take painkillers three or four times a day, but now I hardly take any at all.

Have you been open with your friends and family about your medical cannabis treatment?

Yeah, as I said before, I have enjoyed showing the packaging to my friends, and it has sparked some great conversations. I've always been very open with my friends and family about my cannabis use, so they're all aware.

They're all incredibly pleased that I'm now taking the legal route, the safe route. They have been super impressed with everything. Two of my friends have since reached out to Releaf to see if they might also be eligible for medical cannabis treatment.

Has starting medical cannabis treatment changed your hopes for the future?

I'm just happy that I don't have these awful side effects of the pharmaceuticals, and that I am now so much more stable than I have been in the past few years. 

That's made me hopeful that I will continue down this path to better health and a fulfilled life. Having access to medical cannabis has given me a new lease on life, and I am truly grateful for it.

Are there any other challenges that you've faced on your journey with cannabis so far?

Certainly from wider society - without a doubt, the stigma is massive. When my work colleagues tried to report me, I got asked by someone who had known me for 10 years if I'd been intoxicated at work - that’s the automatic response.

For some people, medical cannabis makes all the difference - it means that you can function and actually just focus on your wellness and health, rather than the politics and social justice issues often associated with it.

Why did you decide to become a patient with Releaf?

Knowledge is power in my world. So, I researched - and I researched a LOT.

I had a look at various medical cannabis clinics and what they did, and I liked Releaf the best just in terms of what the clinic offers. They’ve got a patient platform that works when nobody else’s does - and I've worked in the NHS for donkeys’ years,  all their computer systems are broken - whereas the Releaf platform is really easy to use. The information is good, the communication is brilliant - especially when it comes to speaking to admin staff about stuff like getting my follow-up scripts. Plus, the doctor I saw was just lovely.

Then the Starer Kit came within a couple of days after I'd seen the doctor - it’s slick is what it is! The jar is really tactile, which I really like, as is the puck. With the vaporiser, I upgraded and got the next one up which is also good, and it’s got a really nice feel to it in your hand. I think the Starter Kit is actually a really nice touch - whether you're cannabis-naive or you've been a previous cannabis user.

Having a medical cannabis card makes me feel better - and that counts. I’m living a dual existence, between being a cannabis patient with all these conditions, and being a registered professional who works in mental health - it can be really challenging. What that box said to me was: this is alright. And having the card in my wallet makes me feel better. It validates the fact that I'm a patient, not an addict. For me, that is actually more important than the legality of it.

When you’ve spent all your life with people telling you that you have an unhealthy addiction, then you receive something nice like that in the post - it’s like someone’s come along and said, “Actually, you’re not a junkie”. To me, the box says: “This is medication. Here, have some nice things”. That appeals to me psychologically, after being in the closet for so many years. It's like you're saying to us that it's okay, and that’s what counts.

I appreciate that I’m in a privileged position in a lot of ways, that I can afford medical cannabis privately. But if someone can afford to go private, then I will definitely recommend they choose Releaf.

What about someone who is not sure about whether or not they should try medical cannabis?

We get so many drugs and pharmaceuticals thrown at us. I mean, at one point my doctor was giving me medication that meant that I literally dribbled. The medical system just seems to keep medicating and keep medicating when things don't work, and people don’t really understand what's going on in their heads. Cannabis means that I can live and function, in contrast to a lot of medications that I might get from my GP.

Within the drug services and Addiction Services, I can't tell you how many middle-aged women I saw at the beginning of my career who were hooked on Diazepam. If you’ve been addicted to, and stop taking, opiates or benzodiazepines, then you’ll probably feel really sick. Whereas if I stop taking cannabis, I just get a bit irritable.

Is there anything else we haven't spoken about already that you would love the world to know about your experience?

It would be that cannabis users can actually be productive members of society. I've got a 30 year career. I've published nine textbooks. I run my own business and have done so for nearly 15 years. I was an NHS executive director, the Mental Capacity Lead for the College of Social Work - and I am a medical cannabis user. And those two things work together. If anybody doubts that, just look at me.

What was life like before you had access to cannabis?

Before trying cannabis, I was very anxious. I had a series of panic attacks every day and was very depressed. I would get motion sickness simply by getting out of bed in the morning because of the balance disorder, and I would be vomiting several times a day. It was miserable. Over the years, I’ve tried lots of medications and nothing really touched me. Medical cannabis does.