Woman now “free from MS” has spent £30,000 funding medical cannabis

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

A woman who says she feels free from MS thanks to medical cannabis, is being forced to choose between the treatment and paying the bills.

Alison McEntee, 51, from Glasgow, never imagined she would be free from MS. But four years on from discovering cannabis as a medicine, she’s in the best shape of her life – and in remission.

In 2015, Alison noticed her health deteriorating rapidly and was barely able to walk 100 yards. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and was prescribed Plegridy (peginterferon) by her doctor. 

Unfortunately, the disease modifying drug produced a number of strong, unpleasant side effects that only made Alison feel worse and didn’t alleviate any of her symptoms.

As is so often the case, Alison was told by her healthcare provider that there were no other treatment options for her to try.  However, a beacon of hope lit up her life when, in 2017, she saw a video on Facebook of a man running at his daughter’s sports day – he claimed his MS had been cured by cannabis.

“I’d never even considered cannabis as an option, but seeing what it had done for this man opened my eyes,” says Alison.

“Our stories were so similar. I knew I had to give it a try.”

At the time, medical cannabis was not legally available in the UK, so Alison turned to the illicit market for her supply.

“Cannabis was hard to get hold of at first, as the black market was all new to me. It was terrifying, but I was desperate,” she says.

“I didn’t know if what I was buying was safe, but fortunately I managed to find a number for an illegal dealer who turned out to be reliable and really nice.” 

Alison purchased cannabis flower and the relief from her pain and anxiety was instant.

After a few months of use, alongside an anti-inflammatory diet, she noticed a dramatic difference in her condition not just directly after taking cannabis, but all the time.

“I had so much more energy. The spasticity and constant all-over-body pain I usually suffered from reduced significantlyI could pin-point my discomfort, whereas before it was just pain everywhere,” she explains.

“I started to want to exercise, which is something I hadn’t felt was even possible for many years.” 

Alison continues: “I took up yoga, gentle stretching and squatting every day. Then I started getting out and walking. Feeling my health improve was really weird, as I’d been told there was no cure. It was like my nerves were coming back to life, reconnecting bits of my body that I didn’t realise I couldn’t feel properly.

“If it hadn’t been for the other guy I’d spoken to about cannabis curing his MS, I’d have thought I was imagining it.”

Alison before her MS diagnosis.

What may have felt too good to be true was confirmed by Alison’s MRI results which, after switching her conventional drugs for cannabis, showed only one, inactive lesion.

This suggested cannabis was working as well as Plegridy, but with vastly superior results on symptom reduction and no side effects.

Alison is confident about the difference cannabis has made to her life, but others are not convinced. 

“A lot of my friends find it hard to accept that cannabis is helping me so much,” she says.

“They don’t know what to do or say when I tell them this plant has effectively cured me. I’ve had issues with neighbours too and my doctors weren’t keen for me to come off the pharmaceutical drugs that had been so ineffective.

“There’s so much stigma and they think I’m an addict. It’s very upsetting. You’d think people would be happy that you’re no longer in a tremendous amount of pain, but it’s almost like they’re scared. I think people believe it’s not safe because the NHS aren’t prescribing it.”

After being denied access to Sativex on the NHS, Alison managed to obtain a legal prescription for a CBD:THC oil and whole plant flower.

But she fears she won’t be able to sustain the treatment for much longer due to the cost, which has set her back almost £30,000 over the past five years. Right now, she’s having to choose between buying food and paying bills or paying for her medication.

“I feel MS-free thanks to cannabis. It’s just not a part of my life anymore, but I’m scared this freedom won’t last as I’m being forced to choose between affording my most basic needs and medication that allows me to live a normal life,” Alison says.

“I’m left with no choice but to go back to funded pharmaceutical drugs. I’ve told my doctor, MP, MSP and the First Minister that I’m going to use them to commit suicide, but all they ever say is that there is nothing they can do. None of them are prepared to help me or speak out on the matter.”

Alison’s story is similar to many thousands of patients who are not only suffering physically and mentally, but financially too – a burden no chronically ill person should have to bear.

How long can we continue to deny access to this unique medication that is, evidently, so desperately needed?

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