Our President was asked this question during an interview by a journalist from French-speaking Switzerland, and she still doesn't let it go to this day. She can hardly imagine how desperate you must be: you finally get access to a therapy that makes your life noticeably easier, and then this opportunity is taken away from you again. This is simply inhumane.
Her answer was clear and precise.
«If I were a French patient, I would seriously ask myself whether I would want to continue living like this. After more than ten years of fighting for the medical use of cannabis, it would shock me deeply if this legal option were taken away from me again. It would break my faith in humanity and my will to live.
Here you can find the entire article in the French-speaking Swiss newspaper “La Liberté”.
Cannabis is not a luxury but a medical necessity
For our members – and many other sick people – cannabis is not just any medicine. It is a daily, vital resource without which we would not be able to get through the day. It relieves pain, relaxes muscles and helps the psyche to cope with our difficult chronic pain conditions. Without cannabis, every moment of everyday life becomes torture. The mere thought of no longer having legal access to our medicine causes panic. The black market is not an alternative for sick people - the risks from uncontrolled quality and possible cutting agents are simply too great.
Home cultivation could theoretically be a solution, but this is still illegal in Switzerland. And it involves a lot of effort, is energy-consuming for sick people and is not affordable for everyone. You also live in constant fear of being caught. This uncertainty is very stressful and becomes unbearable over time.
The idea that legal access to cannabis as medicine could be ended again in France is shocking to our president. If a similar discussion were to arise in Switzerland, they would have to seriously reconsider whether I could continue to live like this.
“I still remember the sleepless nights full of worries about where I would get my medication from. I never want to experience these times of fear and despair again.”
The progress in Switzerland
Here in Switzerland we changed the Narcotics Act on August 1, 2022: Doctors can now prescribe cannabis directly without needing a special permit from the Federal Office of Public Health. But here too the path is still rocky. Many of us struggle with social stigma, it is difficult to find a doctor who will prescribe cannabis, and the costs are rarely covered by health insurance companies. But we have reached an important step: cannabis is officially recognized as a medicine. This not only gives us legal but also moral support.
The crisis in France
The current situation is a catastrophe for France. The Ministry of Health has extended the testing phase for therapeutic cannabis by six months - but not to ensure long-term access, but rather so that patients can “wean themselves off the habit and find an alternative”. But what do they have left if there are no alternatives? Many have to return to conventional medications, which often have massive side effects, or are forced into illegality - a condition that endangers their health and dignity.
MEDCAN's appeal to politicians worldwide
It is high time to give sick people access to cannabis as medicine. It is not a luxury but a medical necessity. Science is increasingly confirming what we patients have known for a long time: Cannabis is an effective and natural therapy that can improve the quality of life. Our experiences deserve to be heard and recognized.
Here in Switzerland we have shown that changes in the medical use of cannabis are possible. The fight is not over yet, but we have taken an important step. The Association MEDCAN very much hopes that progress will also be made in other countries - for the benefit of everyone who fights for their quality of life every day.
