A few years ago, the Federal Office of Public Health estimated that the number of seriously ill people who illegally self-medicate with cannabis was over 100,000. (Similarly many seniors now also use over-the-counter CBD drops for better sleep, appetite and for all sorts of age-related problems).

MEDCAN was founded in 2014 as a non-profit Association of those affected with the aim of giving this anonymous mass a face and improving their situation. The environment was harsh. Those affected were operating illegally and had to expose themselves to the black market. Although it was possible to apply for special permission from the BAG for the use of a few approved medicines, doctors were reluctant to take on the immense effort involved.

MEDCAN began holding monthly patient meetings in Zurich, Bern and Basel, where those affected could exchange ideas and network in a confidential setting. It wasn't easy to obtain portraits and patient stories; the mood was one of fear.

The first demand was that all those affected should have unhindered access to medical cannabis of tested quality at affordable prices and be able to consume it without restrictions and without punishment or stress.

Today, a good year and a half after the change in the Narcotics Act (as of August 1st, 2022) and a few years after the first CBD boom, the environment is a lot friendlier. The destigmatization of cannabis has taken place in broader circles. Patients receive access to medical cannabis of tested quality at reasonably affordable prices through a doctor's prescription and can consume it without penalty.

However, MEDCAN estimates that hardly 1,000 people across Switzerland have so far received a prescription, and of these very few have had the costs covered by their insurance. Many people simply cannot afford medicine from the pharmacy.

A lot of educational work is still needed in all directions until all of the other 99,000 people affected can forego the black market or illegal home cultivation and are no longer simply looked down upon as potheads. MEDCAN, as a patient representative, continues to face this challenge.

MEDCAN looks back with pride on the work it has done, is now solidly positioned and recognized nationally and internationally and well networked. However, resources are still scarce because the work is carried out voluntarily by a few people affected.

To mark its tenth anniversary, MEDCAN tells its story in a multi-part series that will be published in upcoming newsletters.

For the future, MEDCAN hopes that a rapid change of attitude and broader public knowledge will lead to all those affected having easier access to medical prescriptions and also having them reimbursed by insurance companies. In addition, more legal certainty in everyday life, such as in road traffic and social security law.

The 70s and 80s

Without Bruno selig there would be no MEDCAN. And without hundreds of thousands of illegal stoners, there would still be no mention of medical cannabis today.

Bruno was a cannabis rebel throughout his life. He left his parents' house early and mixed his way through life. Back in the 1970s he was sitting on the Riviera near Bellevue or standing on Brüggli near Platzspitz and selling hash. Other drugs or alcohol were not an issue for him.

He later traveled to Andalusia and Morocco himself to find the goods and bring them to Zurich at great risk. He once spent some time in prison in Spain. The sound of adhesive tape was his downfall as he was unpacking.

He crossed the borders in two vehicles at a time. In front was a highly suspicious hippie Döschwo, to which the border guards immediately paid the utmost attention, immediately behind a serious Jaguar limousine with explosive cargo, which was waved through without attracting attention.

“Grass” with a high THC content was not known back then. The cannabis plant was no longer in demand as a source of fiber. The medicinal value of the cannabis plant had been forgotten by the public since aspirin and American smear campaigns. Smoking “bird hemp” (from bird seed) was something for old farmers and young beginners (roughly equivalent to today’s CBD).

Hash has been brought and distributed by hippies since the 1960s from India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Morocco. 

A research project at ETH Zurich on crossing cannabis sativa with indica helped some insiders find more potent varieties for illegal home cultivation. In addition, these were increasingly developed and marketed by Californian and Dutch companies.

The 90s

There was a real boom in Switzerland in the 1990s. Cannabis is ideal for crop rotation for organic farmers. Newly developed varieties were crossed and entire fields were cultivated with them. You were in a gray area. Cultivation was not forbidden to farmers at that time, only trading for the purpose of smoking and consumption.

You could stock up on fresh plants straight from the field, after signing a piece of paper saying you wouldn't smoke it. As you drove away, you were usually stopped and checked by the police shortly afterwards. If you didn't do or say anything stupid and they didn't find any torn paper boxes or joint butts as evidence of abuse, you could continue driving unmolested.

“Duftseckli shops” were springing up like mushrooms in the cities. The dried flowers were sewn into fabric bags to hang in the wardrobe or put under the pillow.  

The clever Bruno was at the forefront. Without further ado, he rented a hairdresser's shop behind the main train station and sold the bags in large quantities. With the self-image that he was doing something legal, he also put bags by bags into the cash register and taxed his income.  

However, he was never able to give up doing something illegal: he also ran several rooms where he cultivated indoor plants with a high THC content. 

In typical Bruno fashion, he also opened a legal “grow shop” himself – James Blunt – in order to get the necessary supplies more cheaply and to network further.

Business was rampant. Many of the scented bag shops were also set up directly on the country's borders. There they came in droves from neighboring countries and stocked up. Pressure from the EU on Switzerland increased to contain this gray area. There was also a lot going on domestically.

In 1997, the popular initiative “Youth without Drugs” was clearly rejected with 29.3% yes votes. The popular initiative “for a sensible drug policy” in November 1998 was just as clear with 26.0% yes votes.

In the run-up to this vote, which was initially very well received, there was strong politicization and consequently restrictive action against the uncontrolled growth.

Done funny

Charges were brought against Bruno in June 1998 and he was convicted the following October.  a 14-month suspended prison sentence, a fine of 20,000 francs and a confiscation of 100,000 francs in profits. 

According to prosecutors, nobody pays 50 francs for a bag just to put it between their socks or to sniff it a little. They are simply a vehicle to circumvent the narcotics law. The stickers – not for smoking – do not absolve him of responsibility. At the same time, a similar process took place in the canton of Bern.

This had a signal effect throughout Switzerland. Repression was announced again. Fields and shops quickly disappeared from the landscape.  

Late 90s to 2013

Bruno didn't let himself get down and dived deeper into illegality again. He intensified indoor cultivation and trading. The youth demand for high THC strains was immense.

Next to the grow shop, Bruno opened a Moroccan café with the firm belief that he would soon be running the first Dutch-style coffee shop. He believed legalization was just around the corner.

When the catering business was officially approved, his dream was nipped in the bud. Checks will be carried out more often and if you find even one crumb, the café will be closed immediately.  

The café was a crowd puller from the start and was hugely successful. A few years later, Bruno closed the grow shop in favor of expanding the restaurant business. The police stopped by every now and then to make sure there was nothing illegal behind it. But Bruno had two sets of keys with different storage locations. And strictly separate checkouts. There is no money laundering.

At the same time, he felt increased pain in the muscles of his extremities. In 2006 he was diagnosed with a rare degenerative autoimmune disease, which would lead to his death in November 2015. He became increasingly immobile and in need of help. At the same time, it is also more unpleasant, coupled with activism.

Swiss politics

Politically, the issue was now going around in circles. Sometimes forward, then backward, then standing still again. Til today.

In 1999, a report by the Federal Commission on Drug Issues was published. In this “Cannabis Report”, the EKDF called for a revision of the Narcotics Act and recommended legalizing the consumption, trade and cultivation of cannabis. the Federal Council passed its message for the revision of the Narcotics Act, which followed the recommendations of the EKDF. The Council of States was the first chamber to vote on the revision. In 2003, the National Council rejected this proposal, whereupon the Council of States again spoke out in favor of the revision. In June 2004, the National Council decided on a “non-action”, which meant the failure of the revision. The Federal Council justified this rejection with the controversial issue of cannabis.

Once again the issue ended up in a political drawer.

In 2008, Switzerland voted again on a popular initiative for a sensible hemp policy with effective protection of minors. The non-partisan initiative committee for youth protection - against drug-related crime argued that the initiative would create an order that would end "legal arbitrariness" and enable preventive action and early intervention. The committee also believed that cannabis prohibition was unnecessary and pumped billions into the illegal market every year.  

It was clearly rejected by the people and all classes. The Federal Council also argued with a UN convention that gave Switzerland, as a small country, no room for maneuver.

At least doctors have now been able to prescribe a few cannabis-containing preparations to seriously ill patients with special permission from the BAG. However, the effort involved in the process was immense and therefore unpopular.

International

Meanwhile, a lot was happening abroad. The use of medical cannabis was regulated in California in 1996. Other US states followed. Partly also with the release of “recreational cannabis”. At the federal level, however, the USA still insists on an absolute ban.  

Medical cannabis gradually became a global issue. 

Israel was a pioneer in research. cannabidiol from the plant's approximately 1,000 substances , a molecule that triggers a therapeutic effect - and is hardly psychoactive. It is one of the most medicinally important components of cannabis. A year later, he also isolated the substance that causes the consciousness change - tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Mechoulam has proven the effectiveness of cannabis in numerous diseases in scientific studies. He ensured that Israeli companies hold shares patents

In Germany was and is Dr. Franjo Groten Hermen a central figure. He is tirelessly committed to using cannabis in medicine. The medical use of cannabis has been legalized there since 2017. Since April 1, 2024, the Recreational Consumption been limited.

Uruguay was the first country in the world to prepare for the legalization of cannabis in 2013. Then-President José Mujica declared: “If we legalize marijuana, we will destroy the black market. Because we will sell the drugs much cheaper than the criminal gangs. And from a medical perspective, we have a better overview of consumers and can provide better information.”

At the end of 2013, Bruno said during a walk that there was an urgent need to advance the issue of the medical use of cannabis in Switzerland. The first meetings were organized. Bruno wanted to rent a shop based on the model of the 1990s and open a medical social club based on the Spanish model. His approach was to bang his head against the wall. Since he had nothing left to lose - his criminal record was over and his days were numbered - he was determined to implement the project. The first members and interested parties were from Bruno's environment and were primarily hoping for free cannabis and were not very suitable for a professional campaign.

A more sustainable approach

I was looking for a more serious and sustainable approach and brought Felix on board. Our goal was to promote the dashy of the plant and the medical benefits regardless of the Recreational Consumption image. Topics such as the organizational form (social club, Association or funding association ) and the naming (Medcan or Medcann) were discussed. The meetings were often controversial and without great progress. Meeting with other activists, such as a representative of the Swiss Society for Cannabis in Medicine (SGCM), were sobering because we were stamped as a "stoner gang".

The path to founding Association

From the conversations it became clear that only a serious appearance and a clear delimitation from the Recreational Consumption could give the topic of weight. We agreed to use the term "cannabis" and to avoid terms such as grass, weed, hemp, Marijuana and Ganja. The term “smoke” was declared as an word. We agreed that the establishment of an Association S was useful. Felix put on the statutes, and on December 16, 2014, three of us signed them. The founding assembly was recorded by the protocol, and the Association Medcan was officially founded, with Bruno as President.

The Association aims

The Association purpose at the time was: “To promote the medical use of cannabis within a legal framework. Through its activities, the Association aims to bring people who are dependent on treatment with cannabinoids for health reasons back to legality. The Association supports patients in establishing patient self-help organizations.”

First activities

A first website was created and a Facebook profile was created. An account was opened and a mailbox was set up for the Association address in the Kalkbreite cooperative. The first patient meetings also took place there. To promote these meetings, we produced our first flyer and presented ourselves at the revived CannaTrade in the Dietikon town hall. We received a lot of interest from the organizers and visitors, many of whom also used cannabis for medical reasons.

Patient meetings and challenges

The main motivation of the participants in our meetings was to find like-minded people. The atmosphere was influenced by Bruno and familiar. Those present had different diagnoses of chronic and palliative illnesses and experiences in dealing with cannabis. So-called cannabis nerds, who had been secretly treating themselves for years, also took part, but usually quickly disappeared again. Topics such as dealing with social insurance and authorities in an illegal context were the focus. In order to protect ourselves, we decided that the Association would not make any sales. However, it was suggested that participants might be able to find others who could help in the informal second half of the meetings.

Public relations and difficulties

It was clear to us that we had to go public with the issue. But hardly anyone was suitable for standing in public. Many members were also afraid of exposing themselves and were unwilling to take on the challenge. Only three people agreed to appear in front of the camera for Felix's video portraits. With these videos we started to draw attention to the topic. Despite these positive developments, it proved difficult to continually expand the circle of activists. It was not easy to find committed people who wanted to support both the cause and the Association . The fear of public visibility and the associated personal risks prevented many from actively participating.