Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
IF LEGALISED IRISH patients would be able to obtain a legally protected, secure supply of medicinal cannabis.
MS Ireland, the national organisation supporting people with multiple sclerosis, is welcoming the move. Ava Battles, CEO of MS Ireland says,
“Ongoing research into the benefits of medicinal cannabis and cannabis-based medication extract has shown the efficacy of such treatments to reduce spasticity, pain, sleep disturbances and other symptoms associated with MS. MS Ireland believes people should have access to all and any appropriate and licensed treatments.”
We speak to two people living with MS about the virtues of the cannabis-derived medicine: Sativex.
Anna O’Connor
MS causes spasticity in my legs when I go to bed. This makes falling asleep very difficult.
I understand that Sativex might help these muscles relax and alleviate the pain which would allow me to get a peaceful night’s sleep.
During the daytime, spasticity in my right hand makes using any tools eg knife and fork, scissors etc, almost impossible, particularly in a social situation. This can influence what I eat in the company of others thus inhibiting my social life.
I have been prescribed and taken Lyrica in the past but discontinued taking it as it didn’t work very well for me and also left my brain “fuzzy” the following day.
Spasticity in my leg and hand also prevents me from working because I worked as a restorative architectural artist which requires meticulous use of my limbs. Obviously, climbing ladders/scaffolding is no longer a possibility.
I believe Sativex sometimes helps with bladder problems in MS. This would be a huge benefit as a constant problem if I go anywhere is looking for the loo.
British patients have access
From what I have read and heard from users of Sativex in the UK, it helps considerably with sleep and relaxing muscles during the day. It is difficult to understand why it is not available in Ireland when patients in the UK and Northern Ireland can get it if it helps them.
Sativex was supposed to have been signed off on about two years ago, but that never happened.
I remember at the time that the media reported it in a poor and biased way by emphasising that cannabis was going to be available on prescription to MS sufferers in Ireland. It would not surprise me if those reports had a negative effect on it being signed off for use.
Fionnuala Thornton
My diagnosis of MS didn’t come swiftly. It took almost seven years from early onset and so I was forced to endure the unknowing, disbelieving and sometimes condescending attitudes of physicians born in a pre-MRI world, prior to my final diagnosis.
Needless to say, the impact on my life over the 30 years since has been shattering. It’s left me in a wheelchair and powerless to help myself.
Nothing was as devastating, however, as the onset of muscle spasm three years ago, upending a life already consumed by disability and pain. Spasm locked my body with cement-like stiffness.
My legs lost the strength to remain standing safely on any surface, affecting my ability to shower, dress, leave the house, or get into my car.
Consequently, antispasmodics and botox injections were prescribed in an attempt to lessen the severity of the spasm, but to no avail. The effect was to further weaken already weakened limbs.
Benefits of hemp oil supplement
Enter hemp oil, which before long loosened and relaxed my body, lessening the spasm, giving me an opportunity once again to regain a little control over my life.
It’s magic. I now swim three times a week and can take steps in the water: forward, sideways, backwards, hold my balance. I’m correcting my posture and gait. The spinoff effects are also dramatic. My mood and concentration have also benefitted from that innocuous, natural “Godly” oil.
Why are we limited to prescribed manmade chemicals when the elixir is at hand? Thousands of people could benefit from this wonderful method of controlling spasm. There is a cost factor, however. Hemp oil is quite expensive to buy on a regular basis, which is why we should now consider Sativex.
Sativex is a drug containing cannabinoids, the same properties that are found in hemp oil. It is available as a treatment for spasm in Britain and Europe, and it was expected that Ireland would follow suit. Unfortunately for us, the HSE and the makers of Sativex have been unable to agree a price for the product to date.
We need to set this wrong to right and do all in our power to make sure that Sativex is a given to all who need it.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Solving the climate crisis and emissions is really about making the majority reduce their consumption through using less or paying more taxes so the elite can carry on as normal. If the govt or the world as a whole were serious then we would each have a carbon allowance, but how would that work, far easier to tax the lower income people on fuel for their cars,houses etc than ask the wealthy to stop flying private jets, driving cars that do 20mpg and leave a carbon footprint that’s massive compared to ordinary people.
If the ordinary car is such a threat, why are people being asked to go electric when to do so would either bankrupt them or mean they simply couldn’t afford a car. Its simply not going to happen unless somebody is making a fortune out of it.
@Rex Tilson: absolutely. A survey in the U.K. found that the top 15% of flyers took 70% of flights in that year (2014). Their Carbon costs are even higher because the top 15% fly more long haul and private jets. 50% of people didn’t fly that year but they did fly every second or third year.
Increasing carbon taxes would have little effect in any one year as it would penalise the people taking only 30% of the flights. Most of top 15% are rich enough to continue flying.
A voucher allowing one short haul return per person would massively reduce those flights while not affecting the bottom 85% of flyers who take one or none every year. Maybe corporations can have a few more vouchers. Otherwise – zoom.
At the very least we should ban private jets – are we all in this together or not.
There are chasms between Government words/plans and their actual actions, from health, education, infrastructure, etc decades of incompetence and cronyism.
The climate change advisory council?? Money for old rope for sure isn’t it. Anyway we the people soldier on. Chin up folks.
What’s telling for me, is the amount of rubish that comes outta the journal and all the other outlets singing from the same script. Money most be worth it, won’t last long.
Blah blah blah is right…..Go talk to the Chinese & American’s first
@Christopher Byrne: yep, and then we’ll be fed the same BS that the smallest countries must lead by example first.
according to the ESB data centres use 1/3 of the grids capacity. we bow to america all the time,,,banking crises, housing crises, homelessness, i think they global mind is changing and corporates with larger finances than countries are eventually gonna get reigned in. ofc we are gonna be the last to do it as usual. gombeen politics.
@Mick Heery: I understand that DC’s use a lot, but, do you have a link for the above claim of 1/3rd usage please?
The fact that Ireland has yet to switch to E10 petrol is very telling as to the seriousness of our climate strategy. Literally the lowest hanging fruit, it would remove the emissions equivalent of 100,000 cars off the road practically at the stroke of a pen. If we can’t do something that simple, I’m not sure we’re up to the more serious tasks..
Completely shutting down the import of UK car market totally contradicts govs emission fairytales since local consumer can not get a cleaner – newer car that falls under low co2 regulations from abroad (Since UK is the ONLY AND CLOSEST PLACE where wheel ks right-handed) leaving Irish motorists to use the old diesel engined cars since the car prices are sky high on the island.
The first thing that needs to happen is that people’s attitude needs to change so that they genuinely care and are motivated to make changes to support these goals..
I honestly believe that all the talk in this article will not make people care and threats will only make people do the opposite.
Governments here have a very poor track record on bringing people together as one Nation.
@Roger Bond: people’s attitudes will only change when they see politicians stop squandering billions on every single development they touch.
Start producing results. Not just throwing more taxes at people with no end result visible.
Personally I am more concerned about affording to put fuel in my car, getting appointments at hospital and paying my mortgage.
Regarding climate change I’m inclined to listen to someone who has seen it first hand & that’s David Attenborough, he has said due to climate change & it causing methane gas immissions there’s going to be at least 4/5 viruses per annum!
@Colette Kearns: Sir David frederick attenborough collette. Agree
“Climate Experts” … well. Looking through the history of mankind, the “Climate Experts” helped the society to deal with changes to the climate. They didn’t have computers or smartphones, but an open mind and common sense.
But now that we are in the days of “peoplekind”, our experts are more like the experts of the Aztecs. When the climate changed back in their days, their answer was to kill thousands in order to please their gods, so they’d stop the climate change.
I don’t want to hear another squeak about Planning for more big wind and solar, without first hearing all about the Planning for how they intend filling in the big intermittency gaps. Massive electrolysis plants here or there. Mega grid all over the place.
In reality though all this carbon account game, is just that, a silly game. The only way we will solve this problem is by fighting it as a Warming World War. We need the military industrial combines to stop making weapons and instead make thousands of new generation SMRs. and let the Australians make the fuel for them, instead of exporting vast quantities of coal.
More methane is already boiling out of the permafrost, than from a billion more cows. What the hell are we on about. If we could solve the problem by virtue signalling, it would be solved long ago.
@Nicholas Grubb: I agree…last night on Eirgrids dashboard there was nearly 4000MW of wind available but the grid could only absorb 2000MW so nearly 2000MW of wind power had to be turned off all night but the wind turbine owners still get paid for the curtailment.
have your say