SINCE the legalisation of medical cannabis to the island in 2019, there has been a rise in both the number clinics prescribing the medication and the amount of patients using the drug.
Earlier this year, mental health director Andy Weir raised concerns about prescribing practices for islanders with serious mental illness amid a “notable increase” in inpatient mental health admissions for in those prescribed large amounts of medicinal cannabis.
However, leading figures from Jersey’s medicinal cannabis sector hit back at the claims linking medicinal cannabis to rising psychiatric admissions and that a “black market in prescription drugs” was developing.
Now, several patients have shared their experiences with medical cannabis, and multiple clinics have provided insight into their processes, services, and cautions.
James Bedding
JAMES Bedding was one of the first people living in Jersey to be prescribed medical cannabis in 2020. He explained that he had previously used cannabis recreationally for the last 20 years to help with spasms as a result of being paralysed from the shoulders down. He shared that the benefits of being on cannabis are more than just improving his condition and wellbeing, “beyond prescription, it becomes a community as well which is an important part to it”.
Ross Barker
ROSS Barker was prescribed medical cannabis to manage his bipolar disorder. He said that after consuming cannabis for a prolonged time, he noticed his mental health deteriorating and that he was having an increase of episodes while on his traditional bipolar medication.
He said: “I thought, I need to listen to what the doctors are saying, that the cannabis is not going to be helping me, so I quit it for a period. My health continued to decline so I tried cannabis again and it worked for me, I got a prescription and lent into it heavily.
“I’m now off the traditional bipolar medication and have been for over four years, I genuinely couldn’t be doing better for it and I’ve not had an episode in these four years.”
Mr Barker added that he has noticed improvements in his sleeping habits and has not had any side effects but added “I don’t think it is for everybody, but for me, it changed my life quite dramatically”.
Anonymous (23M)
ONE Islander said that he had previously used cannabis recreationally from the age of 15.
After being diagnosed with anxiety and an eating disorder, he begun researching cannabis and how it could be beneficial in treating his conditions. He was initially prescribed the drug from a UK Clinic and later moved to a Jersey Clinic. He reported that the treatment increased his appetite and helped with sleep, and said: “Those were the two main things it was prescribed for, and it did help.”
After regularly being prescribed medical cannabis for the next three to four years, he learned that his increased panic attacks and memory loss were due to the treatment and ultimately decided to cease use because of this. He added: “I felt as though [cannabis] wasn’t suitable for me due to the side effects I experienced. I would potentially be open to trying a different strain in the future, but this isn’t a possibility right now.”
Anonymous (28F)
A 28-YEAR-OLD woman has been prescribed medical cannabis for the last three years for panic disorder and insomnia and had previously tried “every sleeping tablet and antidepressant under the sun” with minimal relief and problematic side effects.
She added that she was “constantly exhausted from lack of proper rest” and since starting treatment, she claims her condition has improved and she is now getting “restorative and consistent rest which has had a knock-on effect on everything else: more energy, coping better with stress and symptoms, and overall quality of life has improved hugely”.
She added that “[medical cannabis] has given me stability and wellbeing that I couldn’t find with traditional medication”.
Anonymous (35M)
HAVING been prescribed medicinal cannabis for depression, a 31-year-old said that his outlook has changed.
After hearing about the treatment through word of mouth and being due for a review on his antidepressants at the time, he enquired about the prescription through a local clinic.
He said: “The benefits are vast and never ending! Since my prescription, I have been off antidepressants for 4 years and haven’t needed therapy. My outlook on life has changed and I feel great. It gave me the ability and drive to actively look for a better job, and I got one.”
He mentioned that he did not experience any unpleasant side effects and intends to continue using medical cannabis “for as long as possible”.
Amy Martin (21F)
ISLANDER Amy Martin mainly uses medical cannabis for insomnia, and mentioned that her prescription also helps with chronic shoulder pain.
She had previously tried sleeping medication and herbal teas and remedies as recommended by her GP, but noticed little to no improvement.
Amy shared other benefits that she has observed: “It’s easier to eat sometimes, it helps with my appetite and just overall, a mood boost, I deal with stress easier.”
Noting the cost of the prescription, Amy explained that she felt the price of regularly obtaining the medication can be a setback. She said: “The price could be stopping a lot of people from accessing it when it could be helpful, it could be why many people are still buying it illegally.
“I will probably continue using [cannabis] unless I find a cheaper solution, such as natural remedies, that actually work.”
Anonymous (53F)
AFTER being diagnosed with Bechet’s Syndrome, Addison’s Disease and Dercum’s Disease, an Islander begun using medical cannabis in 2020, after finding a clinic in London and later transferring to a Jersey clinic.
She said that, despite still being unable to walk too far, since starting the treatment she is now able to do her weekly food shop without the use of her wheelchair. She has stopped taking a traditional medication and has reduced another.
Her pain has continued, however she says it is now “manageable” and noted that her insomnia has since improved too.
She hopes to continue using medical cannabis but adds that “going forward, this should be made more affordable”.
Anonymous (62F)
AFTER being diagnosed with several mental health conditions, one person, who chose to remain anonymous, has shared that she was prescribed medical cannabis in 2020.
She had heard about cannabis being newly legalised at the time in the media and had been informed of a friend’s positive experience.
Once she had trialed the drug for a couple of years, she reported that her main benefit was “reducing the fight or flight mode I was trapped in at the time”.
The side effects she experienced included “impaired reaction time and not being able to drive as a result of this,” and she added: “I wouldn’t say it improved my condition enough to consider it again, even if it was cheaper. I regret spending so much money on it at the time.”
Anonymous (F)
FOLLOWING a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, one Islander got in contact with a medical cannabis clinic, in an attempt to feel relief from her “debilitating” symptoms, leading to multiple hospital admissions.
She said: “I had tried all kinds of pharmaceutical medicines such as aminosalicylates, immunosuppressants, injecting biologic medicines and taking regular courses of steroids which only created many more ghastly side effects.
“I was nervous and skeptical but open to trying something more natural unlike the chemically manufactured drugs that did nothing to help me.
“I could not believe how quickly my condition improved with just one dose, and now, two and a half years later, I am still in remission. I was, and still am amazed at how quickly my symptoms disappeared.”
What the clinics say
CLINIC Lyphe shared that one of the most common reasons for prescribing medical cannabis is for pain relief.
They added that medical cannabis is prescribed from the clinic as a “secondary treatment” and that a condition must be diagnosed and a patient must be receiving their primary care through a private clinic or GP.
Another condition of prescribing the drug is that the patient needs to have tried “at least two forms of prescribed treatment for [their condition], that can be anywhere from medication to CPT therapy to physiotherapy”.
The clinic mentioned that patients tend to see relief with the medical cannabis being “kinder to their body” and that the experience can differ in each individual.
Meanwhile, Medicann – another local clinic – explained that initially they had observed “a big influx” of patients that had said they were self-medicating using cannabis they had bought illegally and noted that this has since gone down due to medical cannabis being “more readily available” and more GPs making referrals.
They stressed that smoking a medical cannabis prescription is illegal, and that “patients wouldn’t get the full benefit from their medication, because only the THC will be absorbed”.
Dr Kirstie Ross (Carpathia)
SENIOR Emergency Department doctor Kirstie Ross, who also works as medical director in a local medical cannabis clinic said that the most common issues patients seek help with are menopause, insomnia, anxiety and depression, and side effects from cancer treatment.
She added that there are many “cannabis naive patients” who have not tried the drug in the past
“There used to be a stipulation that you had to have tried previous traditional therapies, so things like drugs that were commonly used for chronic pain, however, they now recognise that these medications that were seen as traditional come with their own problems and their own side effects”, she said. “Especially with things like codeine, the addiction rate is high in long term users. So it’s not essential that they try traditional therapies. It’s whether that’s appropriate for that individual. What is essential, is that they’ve engaged with their primary care team.”
Dr Ross confirmed that patients receiving a medical cannabis prescription are seen in monthly intervals, later extending to tri-monthly appointments, and then to an appointment every six months after being stable on treatment for a year on a case to case basis.
There are multiple options such as pastels or oils that patients can “micro-dose” with throughout the day. Dr Ross said: “That means that they have a consistent low level of cannabis in their system that is having the anti-inflammatory effects, the pain relieving effects, the dopamine releasing effects, so that so people are able to get on with their lives.
“What we need to be doing is getting rid of their negative symptoms without making them feel stoned, as people traditionally think, because people don’t want that
“If the patient doesn’t like the feeling that it’s giving them, it’s not working. Because we’re seeing them relatively regularly, we will then try different products to see if those work, we’ve got a formulary of about 20 different products.”
