‘Medical cannabis transformed my life,' says Peterborough woman, 'And my boss lets me vape it at work’

While smoking cannabis at work would mean an instant dismissal for most employees, Sarah Devonshire has no fear of losing her job.

Indeed, bosses of the leading supermarket chain where she works as a retail assistant fully support her actions.

The reason for this is quite simple: the 50-year-old from Dogsthorpe relies on medical cannabis to function effectively enough to carry out her role.

Sarah’s story

Sarah was diagnosed with diverticulitis, a colon disease, shortly after starting working as a retail assistant in 2015.

“I was experiencing problems with my mobility, like walking [and] had to sit down and take long pauses due to being so achy,” she recalled.

“I hadn’t had a good sleep pattern in a long time.”

Later that year, Sarah and her daughter were attacked outside their home. Along with forcing her to take time off work, the traumatic incident left the distressed mother with concussion syndrome for three months and caused her to develop an anxiety disorder.

When Sarah did eventually return to work, she noticed the pain was very much still there.

“It was becoming more predominant in my hand, hip, and lower left back, to the point where it was crippling me quite severely,” she said.

“I was diagnosed with hypermobility disorder syndrome, and was given a full compression suit to support the joint dislocation of my hips and shoulders and pain flares.”

Clearly struggling, Sarah’s husband Tim suggested she try medical cannabis. He explained to her that the drug had helped him with his chronic heart condition, as well as his autism, anxiety and ADHD over the past two years.

Supporters of medical cannabis – many of whom are leading clinicians and doctors – maintain the drug can be beneficial in treating a wide range of illnesses and diseases, such as migraine, Parkinsons', epilepsy and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD).

Despite this, medical cannabis is still rarely prescribed on the NHS throughout the UK.

Sarah remembered feeling quite reluctant to look into it as a potential treatment option, initially.

“I used to be quite staunch 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,” she shared.

“So, we researched private clinics and came across Alternaleaf.”

Alternaleaf is an online clinic for prescribing and administering medicinal cannabis in the UK.

Sarah was impressed by the clinic’s “attentive” guidance, and couldn’t believe how effective her prescription for medical cannabis was at alleviating her pain and discomfort

“The difference it has made is just completely invaluable and totally worth it,” she said.

Weed in the workplace

In order to continue feeling the benefits the medical cannabis offered, Sarah had to take the drug while at work.

However, the wife and mother was fearful of what her colleagues might think, and – more importantly – scared of losing her job.

“I was extremely paranoid about it,” she admitted.

Thankfully, Sarah found her employers to be incredibly supportive.

“My manager has been incredible.

“She spoke with an occupational health consultant and I was given a wellbeing plan, which meant I could take my prescription at work with no worries or concerns.”

Legislation brought in in 2018 ensures patients are legally entitled to take a medical cannabis prescription into the workplace.

However, this can only be done following a review of the patient’s medical history by an occupational health professional so that the impact of the employee’s use of medical cannabis can be fully assessed on their own health and safety, as well as on that of others in the workplace.

Sarah said that having the full backing of her employers – and the law – altered her paranoid outlook completely

“It just changed the way I feel about being able to be completely validated.”

The bigger picture

Sarah’s story is timely.

With the Health Secretary now considering all options to help get 'sick note Britain' back to work, Sarah’s experiences prompt an obvious and perhaps somewhat uncomfortable question: could medical cannabis be an effective way to help unemployed people return to work AND help reduce NHS waiting lists?

Nabila Chaudhri, medical director at Alternaleaf is certain it can:

“Sarah’s story is just another example of the huge impact medical cannabis can have on someone’s health and wellbeing,” she said.

“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.

“Without it, she would be unable to work.”

Ms Chaudhri believes our society would benefit greatly from learning to look upon medical cannabis more favourably.

“[It] can alleviate the pressure on the NHS waiting lists, which have reached unprecedented levels… and can help get millions of unemployed people back into the workforce,” she noted.

"As a nation, we must embrace medical cannabis as a legitimate treatment option, and access to it must be improved."