A mom says medicinal cannabis has transformed her life - and she now vapes it while at work.
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Sarah Devonshire, 50, was diagnosed with hypermobility disorder syndrome after developing debilitating pain in her hand, hip, and lower left back.
The condition causes joints to easily move beyond the normal range of motion and causes joint pain and frequent joint dislocations.
The mom-of-two tried multiple pain relief medications before turning to medicinal cannabis in April 2023 - after her husband, Tim, 49, an IT analyst, started using it to treat his anxiety.
Sarah says since using it in vape form she has seen a massive improvement in her symptoms.
While CBD-only products are legal and readily available in the UK - products containing THC are illegal unless prescribed via the NHS or private clinics.
Very few people are prescribed medical cannabis on the NHS in the UK - so she had to go private but now has a monthly prescription.
Sarah gets her prescription from an online clinic - costing approximately £150 per month.
Sarah, who works in a supermarket, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, said: "It has been a revelation that I never expected possible.
"I went from feeling very unable to contribute to my work to feeling much more involved with the family, and feeling confident that my employment was secure."
Sarah believes the availability of medicinal cannabis should be made easier.
“Medical cannabis transformed my life, and my boss lets me vape it at work”
Sarah and Tim Devonshire. (Courtesy of Sarah Devonshire via SWNS)
She said: "The difference it's made is just completely invaluable and totally worth it.
"I sleep much better and it allows me to maintain a healthy balance, it has been totally transformative," she said.
Sarah had previously struggled with diverticulitis - a condition that affects the large intestine causing abdominal pain and other symptoms but was diagnosed with hypermobility disorder syndrome.
It came on after she and her two daughters - Freya, 14, and Leah, 24 - were attacked outside their home in 2015.
Sarah said: "I was punched in the jaw and was out cold.
"I suffered from post-concussion syndrome for about three months - which meant I couldn’t ride my bike and I was off work for around three months and I also developed an anxiety disorder."
When Sarah eventually went back to work at her local supermarket she noticed the pain from her attack wasn't going away.
She said: "It was becoming more predominant in my hand, hip, and lower left back - to the point where it was crippling me quite severely.
"So, I spoke to my doctor and asked him to refer me to musculoskeletal to find out what was going on."
Sarah was officially diagnosed with hypermobility disorder syndrome in August 2021 though she suspects she has had the condition since she was a teenager.
She was given a full compression suit to assist with her hypermobility which supports the joint dislocation of her hips and shoulders and eases some of her pain flare-ups.
Sarah’s husband, Tim - who suffers with a chronic heart condition and also has autism, anxiety and ADHD - had been using medical cannabis for two years and suggested Sarah gave it a try.
“Medical cannabis transformed my life, and my boss lets me vape it at work”
(Courtesy of Sarah Devonshire via SWNS)
By Talker
Sarah said: "I used to be quite staunchly against it, but I wanted to find something that actually worked, and I could see the hugely positive impact it had on my husband’s health."
Through the private clinic Alternaleaf, Sarah was prescribed medicinal cannabis in the form of a vape and has even been granted permission to use the vape at work.
Sarah said: "I tried to be as discreet as possible, but I was extremely paranoid about it but my manager has been incredible.
"She spoke with an occupational health consultant and I was given a wellbeing plan, which meant I can take my prescription at work with no worries or concerns.
"It's just changed the way I feel about being able to be completely validated too.
"I don't get a 'high' from it, it just allows me to sleep and feel relaxed at the end of the day."
In the workplace, it is legal for patients in the UK to take a medical cannabis prescription after a review of the patient’s medical history by an occupational health professional.
Nabila Chaudhri, medical director at Alternaleaf, said: "Sarah's story is just another example of the huge impact medical cannabis can have on someone's health and wellbeing, without it, she would be unable to work.
"Her life has been completely transformed and she is now able to manage her pain in a way that no medication she was prescribed previously could.
"As a nation, we must embrace medical cannabis as a legitimate treatment option, and access to it must be improved."
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