Thurso MS sufferer delighted that cannabis drug has been approved for use in Scotland
An MS sufferer in Caithness has welcomed a decision by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) to approve a cannabis-based drug to treat the condition.
Sativex was approved by the SMC on Monday to treat muscle stiffness and spasms – also known as spasticity – caused by MS.
The drug contains two chemicals from the cannabis plant, called cannabinoids – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Sativex is a mouth spray that is used to treat moderate to severe spasticity in MS when other medicines have not worked.
It is now available for use across the NHS in Scotland, and the MS Society says it will work to ensure it quickly becomes available to those who need it.
Lillias Rapson, an MS sufferer from Thurso, used Sativex as part of a four-week trial in 2018 and was later prescribed it under a more recent clinical trial. She was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS 10 years ago after experiencing symptoms since she was 13.

The 38-year-old said: “It's a real worry removed from my mind, knowing I can keep my muscle spasms and therefore my pain levels down and under control while maintaining my functionality as much as possible and without using addictive opioids.
"It feels wonderful knowing other people with MS will be able to easily access Sativex on the NHS in Scotland from now on. No one should have to live a life struggling to manage muscle spasms and pain.
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“I was prescribed Sativex by my neurologist, initially as a four-week trial, to ease muscle spasms. He needed a lot of convincing as he seemed reluctant to prescribe it when it wasn’t approved for use on the NHS in Scotland.
“I take eight sprays of Sativex a day. I’m able to live a life and work out without the severe intensity of MS pain. I still experience muscle spasms but they are now mostly controlled using Sativex, along with meditation, breathing exercises and listening to my body, resting when I need to.”
Until Monday, the drug was approved for use on the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but not in Scotland, although a limited number of people, including Lillias, had been able to access it via the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier 2 individual patient treatment request process.
Although there are potential side effects from Sativex, such as feeling sick, tired, dizzy, or having diarrhoea, the MS Society says these tend to fade after a few weeks and some people don’t experience them at all.
While a number of drugs already exist to treat spasticity, many people with MS have told the charity they find these ineffective and they struggle to tolerate the side effects, which can include memory problems and depression.
Morna Simpkins, director of MS Society Scotland, said: “We welcome the SMC’s decision to approve Sativex for use on the NHS in Scotland.
“MS is relentless, painful and disabling. Sativex has been proven to relieve muscle spasms and their associated pain, leading to increased mobility, better sleep patterns and an improved quality of life for the person living with MS and their family and loved ones.
“We will continue to work with the SMC, NHS Scotland, individual health boards and neurologists to ensure Sativex quickly becomes available to everyone throughout Scotland whose life could be significantly improved by taking it.”