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

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

From Live Well Be Well with Sarah Ann Macklin | Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition by Sarah Ann Macklin

June 10, 2026 · 1h 12m

About this episode

This episode features Dr. Simon Erridge discussing the benefits and misconceptions of medical cannabis as an alternative treatment for chronic pain and other conditions.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Sarah Ann Macklin

Guest: Dr. Simon Erridge

Topics covered

  • medical cannabis
  • chronic pain
  • endometriosis
  • migraines
  • PTSD
  • opioid prescribing
  • black market cannabis

Keywords

  • cannabis
  • chronic pain
  • medical cannabis
  • opioids
  • PTSD
  • endometriosis
  • migraines
  • black market
  • conditions treated

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NHS, UCL

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