Source
r/ukmedicalcannabis•
WCSecret

Despite all of this I still don’t ‘feel’ legal

Discussion

A few months ago when I received my first prescription I was ecstatic. Cannabis enabled me to quit my other medications, it treats my symptoms effectively, and finally I could move past the fear of criminality by becoming a legal patient.

Except that it hasn’t quite worked out that way. Whilst I do feel more secure in that by the letter of the law I am a legal patient, it hasn’t had the sweeping effect I maybe hoped for. It’s still a secret from my family, I still tidy it all away when someone visits, I don’t dare mention it to any colleagues at work, and I feel uncomfortable in public or driving with my medication in case the police were to stop me because it appears from other patients’ experiences they are not educated on medical cannabis.

This is just a Sunday musing post, but I wonder if anyone else feels the same? I’m still so grateful for where we are now, but it’s disheartening when I feel there is so far to go in the grand scheme of things.

(Mid-20s [M] anxiety patient)

Posted May 2, 2021, 3:45 PM UTC

5843
BugEcstatic3311•

My main worry is uneducated cops

34
[deleted]•

[deleted]

14
BugEcstatic3311•

Its only when one of them gets done under the equality act it will change. Fucking depressing

11
[deleted]•

[deleted]

8
BugEcstatic3311•

I agree. was not suggesting you do

4
ukmedpatient•

I totally agree with you, I keep mine at home for this exact reason, and even more so because I live in n.i as the psni would try a do you for a crumb lol.

2
mer-pig•

I feel similarly. I’m working from home at the moment so it’s not been an issue, but I feel like if I return to the office I’ll just go without medication during the day rather than go through the ordeal of HR issues, even if it’s likely I’d be successful in the end.

12
Jringo100•

In my experience (completely different type of job and everything but it’s just my side job for uni) my work has been amazing about my prescription, they let me go and use it if I need it and never have any real complaints about it, only thing I can’t do while using my meds is use the machinery but that’s pretty good (work for a big hardware retailer, sure you can guess which one).

At the start they were a little hesitant but I was up front and went and showed them all legal documents, said it how it is and they just took a scan of everything and treated it as if I was prescribed opiates or something along those lines.

I think it’s all about approaching with confidence to HR and providing everything you have that backs up your meds, I gave them the treatment agreement, FP10 for my original script and letters my doctor had sent and showed them what it is, how I use it etc. I would do that because legally they can’t stop you from using medication and I think that every employer should know about this.

I was the only person prescribed through my whole company which has now prompted them to make a set of rules about it company wide.

Then again this is just my experience and if you need legal backup it could be costly

12
D3LB0Y•

I thought pharmacies retained the FP10? How did you manage to get a copy?

3
Jringo100•

Just emailed and asked for a copy for my own records and got medcannid, they just sent it over no questions asked

3
ukmedpatient•

My doctor sends my a copy of the script and can access from my portal and print out and keep it with my meds, I guessed all clinic's done the same?

3
U-Ok-Hun•

Handy! What clinic are you with?

1
tiekey613•

Fantastic. I’d love to see a copy of the ‘rules’. Care to share?

2
Jringo100•

I’ll see if I can get a copy of them from HR, they are essentially:

-Ask/tell a manager you’re going to use it

-Use in smoking area or car if vaped

-Do not operate machinery if you have used the medication in the day

-Don’t share with anyone else (obvious but still stated to me)

-Let a manager or HR know if you need to go home because of adverse effects

That’s essentially all the written rules surrounding it, a few unwritten ones I’ve had from my store manager is:

-Make sure you can still talk to customers or go home if you’re unable or in my case, if my migraine persists

-Try not to look under the influence of cannabis to stop customers abusing staff about it. So I just use whitening eye drops just to be sure

-Don’t smell of it - avoided when vaped anyway

-Be subtle when using it

-And lastly is make sure you still do work (thinks it makes you lazy)

But in all cases I would class this as a win win, I don’t really mind that the store manager views it that way because he’s already started coming around to it just seeing me work while on it. The only real drawback is not being able to use the machinery but I completely understand that when constantly surrounded by people it’s just the other staff getting annoyed when I can’t use anything that is a problem.

Hope that answers it but I’ll try and get the official document they made next Sunday when there’s someone in HR

12
Unusual-Light-9313•

Sorry for my ignorance. What’s an FP10 please?

2
Jringo100•

That’s just the name of your prescription paperwork

2
Unusual-Light-9313•

Ah cool. Thank you.

2
[deleted]•

When I irst wore a mask in a shop I felt like a weirdo...now.i forget to take the mask off sometimes.

In time, you feel legal and comfortable, I'msure. Would your family accept it if you told them?

8
TMODAlpha•

Totally feel this. The stigma is still real. Like others too working from home is making it easier, and undereducated police worry me.

7
odd_job_bod•

I could have written this word for word. I haven't used recreation cannabis is 30 years before starting a medical prescription this year, although it's certainly not a cure and I struggle everyday, cannabis has exceeded my expectations tenfold, I have drastically reduced my opiate prescription, I have slept unbroken for 4 hours for the first time in decades, I feel motivated and physically able to do the simple that I forgot I even missed (just sitting in the garden for an hour for example). In short I feel human again.

.... BUT.... I had to go to London last week, it was urgent and had to be done in person, a family member I know pretty well drove me, I was gone for 6 hours and I was in agony, unbearable pain the whole time, as I couldn't bring myself to even take my mighty and less the half a gram of my legal, prescription medication with me. The whole thought of getting pulled over, or talking to anyone in person about my prescription still seems unthinkable.

I know it's my problem to get over, but I can't 😥

7
ukmedpatient•

Same as myself I hide my use and only use it at night as don't want family or kids to know, only my wife knows and it's great relief at night but like yourself I really can't get over it and sort of think it's legal I'll use the same as my other meds.

I just think it needs more exposure in papers about how many have medical flower and not too judge everyone that they might smell using it, and as for the police most haven't a clue and think it's based on this stupid cancard which is totally useless imo. I'd rather see all clinic's contact head of police in all of UK and let them know what is legal and what a prescription looks like and get them to inform every station under them.... That seems like too much hard work but something needs done.

6
stevoknevo70•

I treat it as I do all of my other meds, I take them at the times I need too or when required, and I'm discreet when doing so - it's a bit of a novelty at first being legal, but if I need my inhaler in the street I take it, if I need to use my vape before going into Tesco because my Tourettes is being a bit shouty on the way there, then I do. Discreetly.

I was an addictions nurse prior to being medically retired so I more than likely view this differently to many as I'm more informed on restricted drug prescribing when it comes to the majority of police officers if I ever need to discuss it with them - what I would recommend, and do personally, is keep a copy of your clinical acceptance letter on your phone and bookmark your clinic portal so that you can show them your prescription; it's not feasible to carry a 10g pharmacy pot around with you for your daily dosing needs as I've read of others doing on this sub (I use a small black tub similar to the old camera film tubs, 'cept this was for glucose testing strips) having those on your phone is more than enough evidence for your own usage - they might try to make it otherwise, but you are doing no wrong.

I've got young kids and I medicate outside or when we're out for a walk or after their bedtime when they're with me; all my family know I have it on prescription (bar my estranged wife, but I've been using cannabis for almost 40 years so she wouldn't be surprised) As long as you are discreet then no one needs to know as you wouldn't tell them you've been prescribed Diazepam/Codydramol/Cocodamol etc, etc - your health is between you and your consultant, just because people are ignorant to changes in the law yet maintain an outdated viewpoint on a bloody plant shouldn't be causing you to be anxious and wary about what they might say.

Driving is another matter entirely and the responsibility to make sure you're not impaired to drive due to prescribed medication lies solely with you - you can still retain a driving licence and drive a vehicle whilst prescribed methadone for instance (although you do have to make the DVLA aware of that) Legality doesn't remove responsibility - if you take a huge vape, jump in the car and cause an incident because of that, it'll still be viewed as having occurred due to impairment (my former addictions consultant removed a few of my alcohol patients licence from them as he viewed dependence as constant impairment, despite the patients living very rurally and never actually driving their car when they'd fail a breathalyser test) Just be mindful of your responsibility to yourself and other road users, then you're doing what you can to minimise any risk as the media would love nothing better than to point the finger at legal patients for causing a tragedy.

*that'll be a moot point before the decade is out as cars will be fully autonomous by then and humans probably won't be allowed too for reasons of personal indemnity as the insurers won't touch us as we'll be the risk...

3
B-R-O-C-K-I-E•

I’ve been totally open with my work from using CBD and being registered with Cancard to being prescribed THC via T21 project and being legal. They have been open minded and understanding and are doing a risk assessment taking my needs into consideration.

Police and driving on the other hand???

6
CyronSplicer•

The only way to break the stigma is to treat medical cannabis like you would co-codamol or morphine.

As soon as I saw it that way, it helped me a lot, however I'm still worried about arseholes police officers

4
JdL1989•

Whole reason im getting script is cus the building site i happen to be on this year used a piss test on me rather than 12 hr swab. They wouldnt accept cancard but will accept proper prescription. Soon as i get mine script im telling the world so the stigma goes

4
factoryrestore•

Totally agree I feel I can’t medicate properly as trying to hide it from members of family ie young kids it’s the stigma that’s attached to cannibis and it’s hard as it helps with pain and other issues hopefully it becomes more acceptable and not seen as a gateway drug that ruins life’s which is the opposite or me it helps so much

4
ukmedpatient•

You'll find that most that have an issue with it don't think twice about getting pissed drunk every weekend and making a fool of themselves just because it's legal and bought from the shop. I've seen first hand how alcohol can ruin lives yet its sold everywhere you turn.

7
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
Unusual-Light-9313•

Couldn’t have wrote it better myself. I feel exactly the same and do exactly the same. Mid 30s anxiety.

2
BruceyBoi66•

For me it's not the police I'm worried about, the worst they can do is arrest you or take away your medicine, it's better than being stabbed or shot at by the crackheads around my way.

2
skyvand•

I felt the same, though a lot of this comes down to you. We can’t do anything to change the stigma and we will likely deal with uneducated police officers for a long time. What we can do is not care. This is easier said than done (I’m an anxiety patient myself so I truly do get it), but it is possible as we aren’t breaking the law. My family knows, several of my colleagues know, my boss knows and so on. I walk around busy areas with my vaporizer like it’s nothing. Why should I behave any differently when I’m not breaking any laws? The longer others with prescriptions hide, the longer people will continue to feel like they can’t be open about their medication

2
vapexhaleseeker•

I felt the same. I approached some officers at the weekend to check their knowledge & it was wrong. I plan to visit the police station this week to speak to whoever I can about my prescription, with a view to perhaps coming back & speaking to department heads.

I don't expect a great reception at first but I think speaking to your local force & identifying yourself as a legal md ducal user is freeing & can have a positive impact for others in the area worried about the same thing.

I hope you feel more comfortable soon, I have to hide less but in rented property is still an issue.

Hopefully this week will bring some clarity. 😁

2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
Q_indaloft•

When out keep what your carrying in the pescription bag it came in.And same at home. You should get the canna cards for patients (rnd £30 2 start) Have you tried Delta 8 thc( made from cbd) much better for anxiety than Delta 9 thc.Must B shitty suffering with anxiety at such a young age.TkEZ

1
tiekey613•

Is Delta 8 even available in the UK?

3
Q_indaloft•

If you know the right people. Delta 8 is an awesome product. Ive got some shatter N distilate fot personal atm.Im on Instagram more than here.

2
skyvand•

Only rarely, as you'd have to be incredibly daft to try to sell it publicly in the UK as it is illegal to sell under the psychoactive substances act introduced in 2016. Possession of delta 8 for personal use is legal as far as I understand it, however importing, exporting, distributing or possessing delta 8 with intent to distribute is illegal

1
tiekey613•

I should have been more clear. I know it’s illegal to sell, but there are many things illegal to sell that are sold, eg on Telegram or onions. But I have seen THC-8 anywhere, legal or illegal.

1
skyvand•

I’ve seen one CBD vendor stock it and remove it from their site soon after for obvious reasons. I should have been more clear also, I’m trying to say that it’s legal status plays a significant role in it’s lack of availibility. There is little to no demand for delta 8 on the black market, so since they are both illegal to import and sell, it makes much more sense to be importing delta 9 products that are actually in demand

1
LonelySpyro•

I think the police stopping you in the car is different. Sure the merch can be legal but you can’t drive a car under the influence and the last time I was stopped they said you’ll be high for the whole day and can’t drive

1
D3LB0Y•

You can drive, your comment is wrong

2