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A woman has opened up about being allowed to use a weed vape at work – explaining how there’s a very important reason behind it.
Sarah Devonshire, 50, developed debilitating pain in her hand, hip and lower left back, ailments that stemmed from a horrific incident.
While she has previously struggled with diverticulitis - a condition that affects the large intestine causing abdominal pain and other symptoms – she began suffering intense pain after she and her two daughters, 24-year-old Leah and 14-year-old Freya, were attacked outside their home in 2015.
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"I was punched in the jaw and was out cold,” she recalled.
"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 a local supermarket, she noticed the pain wasn’t going away.
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She continued: "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."
It wasn’t until August 2021 that Sarah was officially diagnosed with hypermobility disorder syndrome, although suspects she has had the condition since she was a teenager.
Hypermobility disorder syndrome causes joints to easily move beyond the normal range of motion, and causes joint pain and frequent joint dislocations.
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Sarah tried various pain relief medications, but later decided to turn to medicinal cannabis in April 2023, after her husband Tim, 49, started using it to treat his anxiety.
Despite being ‘staunchly against it’ at first, she says the effects have been incredible, having seen a huge improvement in her symptoms.
Sarah, 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."
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She now believes medicinal cannabis should be easier to access, as, 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.
“The difference it's made is just completely invaluable and totally worth it,” Sarah said.
"I sleep much better and it allows me to maintain a healthily balance, it has been totally transformative."
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Few people are prescribed medical cannabis on the NHS in the UK, so Sarah had to go private.
She now gets her monthly prescription from online clinic Alternaleaf, costing approximately £150 a month.
Sarah was prescribed the medicinal cannabis in the form of a vape, which she’s even been granted to use at the supermarket she works at.
"I tried to be as discreet as possible, but I was extremely paranoid about it but my manager has been incredible,” she went on.
"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.”
It is legal for patients in the UK to take a medical cannabis prescription in the workplace, but only 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."
Topics: Health, Vaping, Mental Health, Jobs
Jess Hardiman