My Story with Medicinal Cannabis, and perhaps yours too, by Grahame

The journey to pain relief for me started in February of this year 2023. For a long time I had considered medicinal cannabis as a potential option, having tried pretty much all of the available medical, allied health, and alternative therapies with no lasting relief from my chronic low back pain of 23 years. I was reluctant at first, aware of the stigma attached to being a “druggie”, but with the growing social awareness of the therapeutic benefits for so many medical conditions, and being in a months long pain “flare”, I thought I would give it a try.

Through my GP and Pharmacist I started a 14 week trial of CBD oil, increasing to a 0.6ml daily dose, recording, summarising and assessing changes to my pain levels.

In that time, I have experienced a remarkable improvement in pain levels, from 7-8 prior to the trial to 0-1, along with better sleep, no more foot neuropathy, greatly lessened anxiety and depression, and a ten-fold increase in my daily functionality. 

I still have pain from inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthitis and bursitis, suggesting that the CBD oil is more effective for neurological or psychogenic conditions, but overall my Quality of Life has vastly improved.

Not all GP’s can prescribe medicinal cannabis and the financial burden of consultations (not bulk billed) and prescriptions for this medication is quite high ($190 each). I have made representations to my Federal MP requesting addition to the PBS, we shall see.

I have no hesitation in recommending that chronic pain patients speak with their GP to investigate this option, it works for me.