A man living with multiple sclerosis (MS), severe migraines, extreme nausea, and a complex neurological disorder has said medical cannabis has “saved his life” and wants to dispel the “long-standing stigma” behind the drug. Eric Powers, 49, a former IT specialist from Birkenhead, Merseyside, said his neurological condition began after an inflatable slide accident when he was 13 in 1989.
The Accident and Its Aftermath
Eric flipped into the air and landed on his head, leading to a five-day coma. Since then, he has experienced temporary blindness, inability to sleep or swallow, convulsions, and further comas—four in total, each lasting about three days. Initially, these episodes occurred monthly, and he tried numerous pain medications that came with major side effects, helping some symptoms but worsening others.
Turning to Cannabis
At age 27 in 2003, Eric tried cannabis on his father’s suggestion. “It was almost an instant flip,” he said. His nausea disappeared, and he could eat and feel better. The drug has since helped manage his pain, especially after an MS diagnosis in his early 40s. After moving to the UK in 2025 following an online romance, he sought a prescription from Curaleaf, a private clinic, and was approved.
Eric stated: “Cannabis is the only thing that keeps me going. It’s literally saved my life. But there’s a really nasty stigma around it, and that upsets me.”
Stigma and Medical Challenges
Eric has faced stigma even from medical professionals. In his early 30s, a hospital doctor denied him painkillers after finding cannabis in his system, despite his low potassium levels causing severe pain. He said: “I was basically being tortured because they found cannabis in my system.”
Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since 2018 for conditions like MS, but only after other treatments fail. Eric now hopes to change perceptions: “We need to reprogram people to realise this is so helpful for people like me. We need it to function.”
