This is the story of Deborah. Deborah is a mum and an active, productive member of society. She has been suffering from chronic pain for four years. Chronic pain changed her life:
Chronic Pain affected the way I exercise and socialise. But the health aspect it had the most significant impact on was my mental health.
Deborah A
My pain
For me, chronic pain occurs as a 24/7 headache. When it flares up, it sends pins and needles and numbness to other parts of my body. Headaches can range from mild to severe, non-stop. I have seen dozens of health practitioners in different medical specialities over the years. While some have helped me understand and manage the pain – I’d never found relief.
CBD + THC = Relief
At the start of 2020, I decided to see a doctor for medicinal cannabis treatment. I was approved and started with CBD isolate for two months. CBD isolate is a CBD only product – it doesn’t contain any other cannabinoids or chemicals from the plant. It did not have the desired effect.
My doctor suggested I try a product with a THC component. After a few weeks, I had pain relief for the first time. At the time, I was working from home due to COVID and wasn’t driving. So, there weren’t any issues with taking THC.
The impact of discriminatory laws
I could only use the THC for about two months as a trial and then had to stop as I needed to drive again. My daughter was on her final year of L plates, and I wanted (and needed) to drive with her.
My headaches came back, and my quality of life diminished again.
In early April 2020, my daughter received her license. I can once again get support from my family to drive me around when needed.
I’ve been able to start my cannabis prescription again, and within one week, I’m already feeling the amazing benefits.
When I’m feeling better, I can’t drive. When I’m feeling unwell, I can. Because I need this medication, I cannot legally drive. The challenge is that I MUST drive. Not driving has an enormous impact on my work life, my hobbies, and my social life. I have no interest in driving impaired, just healthy.
I’m looking forward to seeing the rules change to allow all medicinal cannabis patients to drive when unimpaired. We need a defence for presence so that patients can drive without being fearful of testing positive for THC.
I am supportive of the fight for Change.
