Medical Cannabis for Pain Relief: Jae’s story

Jae’s Story 

Decades of painting led to osteoarthritis.

Jae has painted for 30 years on large canvasses, standing with her arms extended in the same position for long periods. After years of repetitive strain, she now has severe osteoarthritis in her elbow.

She has chronic, sharp pain.

Jae’s pain was so bad that her physiotherapist recommended she learn how to paint with her left hand—which she did. “When you have pain like this, when it’s all of a sudden and it just attacks you, it stresses you out completely. I could be shampooing or brushing my hair, and all of a sudden my elbow locks and it’s shocking to the system.”

Conventional treatments were unsuccessful.

Before turning to cannabis, Jae tried many other conventional medications and treatments—painkillers, weekly physiotherapy, acupuncture and even consultation for surgery. The medications didn’t work very well, or they worked for a time and then stopped working. She didn’t like the side effects and was still experiencing pain. “As a painter, I have to have my elbow. I’m 58 years old but I have no plans of quitting 100% yet. I want to paint more, whatever it takes.”

She took matters into her own hands.

Jae’s local doctor does not support the idea of cannabis as a medical treatment and would not prescribe it for her. So Jae sought out Dr. David Hepburn in Victoria, British Columbia, to help alleviate her chronic pain.

Her pain can be gone in as soon as 3 seconds.

Jae felt relief immediately when she tried medical cannabis for the first time. “It actually was a very relaxing feeling at first.” She no longer fears sharp pain coming at her. “When I vaporize with it, most of the time I can count 3 seconds and the pain is completely gone.”  There are times when the pain is too great and it takes a little longer. But at the very least, her mobility returns first and complete pain relief follows. Jae uses cannabis 2 or 3 times a day as needed, especially when she has a long day of painting. It lasts her 4 to 5 hours.

She’s a “square” cannabis user.

Jae says she’s probably the most unlikely person to turn to medical cannabis. “I don’t smoke. I don’t drink. I’m probably square.” She doesn’t want to feel high and found a formula that doesn’t give her that feeling. “It’s very simple, really: Pain. Vape. No pain. That’s it.”
CanniMed Ltd. is one of Canada’s licensed producers of medical cannabis, and a CARP Recommended partner. To learn more about medical cannabis visit www.cannimed.ca/pages/CARP