# The Cannabis Expert: The Painkiller Alternative for Chronic Pain, Endometriosis & Migraines

An episode of [Live Well Be Well with Sarah Ann Macklin | Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1508380100), 10 Jun 2026, 1 h 12 min.

Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/1033d1554/podcast/play/121223699/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-9%2F425800528-44100-2-22ea78ddc2aa7.mp3

Have you ever been told that the thing you need to get better doesn't exist on the NHS but quietly, it does? This week I'm joined by Dr. Simon Erridge, medical doctor, UCL researcher, and one of the UK's leading voices in medical cannabis. Simon has a way of cutting through the stigma and the noise and what he shares isn't about getting high. It's about patients who've tried everything, suffered for years, and finally found relief. What we explore together: • What medical cannabis actually is and why it's nothing like what you probably picture when you hear the word cannabis • Why the UK is one of the highest opioid-prescribing countries in the world, and what that tells us about how we treat chronic pain • What's actually happening in the brain with PTSD and how medical cannabis can help decouple the trauma from the memory itself • The shocking contamination rates in illicit cannabis, and why the black market route puts people at real risk • Who shouldn't use medical cannabis, and the conditions where it's not appropriate • The full range of conditions being treated right now: from migraines, Crohn's disease and MS to anxiety, depression, OCD and cancer-related symptoms If you or someone you love has been living with chronic pain, PTSD, endometriosis, or any condition that feels like it has no solution this one is for you. Love, Sarah Ann 💛 My book ‘Healthy Shouldn't Be This Hard’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Healthy-Shouldnt-Be-This-Hard-ebook/dp/B0G1DHNRV5 This episode is sponsored by: DIOME: Rest deeper. Stay grounded. Rested is available now and Grounded lands later this month. 👉 Get 20% off with code SARAH20 at DIOME.CO NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today. 👉 15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/ More from me: The Great British Veg Out How to support your gut by eating more, not less https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/t… Reset Your Health If your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout, this is where to start! https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/r... Free 5-recipe PDF for busy weeks https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahma... Join thousands reading The Compassionate Cure → https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/ Let's be friends! 📷 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin 📹 Subscribe https://youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah?si=UbuuWvMjAcTkELPN 📱 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast?_r=1&_t=ZN-96iOW29jTRm Timestamps 02:44 — Introduction: What is medical cannabis and why this episode matters 03:48 — Simon's background: how he got into medical cannabis research at UCL 05:12 — Why the UK hasn't legalised cannabis like the US and Canada 07:46 — What's available on the NHS vs. private clinics 10:28 — The typical patient: who actually gets prescribed medical cannabis 12:40 — Opioids vs. cannabis: the UK's hidden opioid crisis 23:34 — 80+ research papers — and the most surprising result 24:04 — Illicit cannabis contamination: mould, E. coli, salmonella, lead 28:17 — Migraines: why cannabis works both preventatively and during attacks 35:44 — Endometriosis: 176 million women, chronic pain, and medical cannabis 39:09 — The opioid reduction study in endometriosis patients 44:13 — How long before PTSD patients feel the effects? 46:01 — The stigma in the therapy community around cannabis patients 52:15 — How to advocate for yourself when you've already been dismissed by a doctor 57:01 — Can medical cannabis trigger psychosis? The real risk explained 59:22 — Why the word "cannabis" itself might be the problem 63:50 — Will the UK ever legalise cannabis? 65:10 — The full range of conditions medical cannabis can treat Love what you're hearing? My small ask is to please rate and review Live Well Be Well. This helps the show expand and allows me to keep producing these with the best quality guests. It means a huge amount to me, so thank you.

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