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John Browne, 42, from East London CHRONIC pain sufferer John vapes cannabis and also eats cannabis jellies and chocolate to help relieve symptoms which have left him disabled and unable to work.

He says that after going down the “usual route of the GP” – using

physiotherapy and prescription painkillers, including morphine and epilepsy drug pregabalin – he found cannabis was the best way to manage his pain. John started to grow his own when he found the strains sold by his local drug dealer weren’t working.

“I’m a dab hand at gardening, so I trialled a small grow at home,” he said. “It’s given me some dignity back. I don’t want a cannabis prescription as I like having control over what I’m putting into my body. I’m well aware of the risk of coming out about my illegal activity. But I’m speaking out for every vulnerable patient who needs cannabis products, but faces penalties from archaic drug policies.

“We are patients, not criminals.”