Even as a schoolchild, I knew I was different from the others and that 'something wasn't quite right' with me. I was always tense inside, never at peace, always running on fumes. You can probably imagine how difficult it is to concentrate in that state. Despite that, I finished secondary school and completed an apprenticeship as a metalworker. I first came into contact with cannabis when I was around 18. My friends and I bought some buds from the "hemp shops" that still existed back then. Even then, my goal wasn't to get high, but simply to unwind a bit. To not always feel "on edge.".
A cannabis "aha" moment
During a trip to the Netherlands in my early twenties, I had a real epiphany. From one of the local coffee shops, where cannabis can be legally consumed, the scent of a previously unknown strain wafted into my nostrils: Sativa. It has a relatively high THC and a low CBD content. Something clicked in my brain, and I knew: This is it, this is what can help me. I asked for some buds of this strain at the coffee shop and, after just a few puffs, felt better than I had in a long time. Everything was normal; finally, I was stress-free.
Because the sativa strain I needed wasn't available in Switzerland, I became self-sufficient and cultivated my own sativa cannabis plants at home. Until one day the police showed up at my door, searched my apartment, and confiscated my plants.
My second cannabis "aha" moment
As a consequence of growing cannabis, I had to pay a fine and received a criminal record. I was also ordered to undergo a traffic psychology assessment because I was still regularly driving a car and motorcycle at the time. The psychologist assigned to my case became suspicious when he saw my blood test results. He said, "You have one of the highest THC levels in your blood ever measured in the canton. But despite that, you seem perfectly normal to me." And he voiced a suspicion: "Could it be that you have ADHD?" He ordered further tests, and he was right. I have ADHD. Finally, I knew what I had. To this day, I'm grateful to the traffic psychologist for that.
Conventional ADHD therapy discontinued
I was less grateful that I was subsequently prescribed Ritalin – the most well-known, but also highly controversial, medication for ADHD. I took it for about a year and a half starting in 2018; otherwise, I wouldn't have been allowed to keep my driver's license. The side effects were terrible: for example, I would suddenly experience severe heart palpitations while driving and have to pull over. I have to ask myself: Is this supposed to be a safe medication? Because of the side effects, I stopped the Ritalin therapy and have since gone back to using cannabis when necessary. The effects usually kick in within minutes, and my condition "normalizes," and I find peace.
New friendships at Medcan
After discontinuing Ritalin therapy, I read many studies about the effects of cannabis. I also became interested in whether there were other people in Switzerland who self-medicated with cannabis. That's how I came across the Association Medcan. There, I not only found professional support but also new friends. The community and the knowledge that I'm not alone are very beneficial. It's very important to me that the legislation regarding cannabis use for sick people who self-medicate with cannabis changes quickly. Ideally, I would like to see official hemp shops like the ones that existed in Switzerland in the 1990s: where one could get professional advice and "clean" cannabis with tested ingredients. Because things are moving far too slowly in Bern, I regularly write letters to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and also to the Federal Councillor responsible for health personally. One thing is certain: although I'm much more relaxed internally thanks to cannabis than before, I won't give up on this issue so easily.
