Various interest groups such as pharmacists, Swiss farmers and CBD producers are positioning themselves and want to earn money with medical cannabis. Large international companies and the pharmaceutical industry also want to get involved in this new market. A new billion-dollar market is emerging worldwide.
The Federal Office of Public Health estimates that up to 100,000 Swiss patients use cannabis medicinally despite the ban. The interest in our Association shows that there is a much larger target group. This development can also be seen in Germany. The interest in medical cannabis is much greater than expected. It is all the sadder to see that Switzerland is losing touch internationally due to its slow political structures.
Cannabis is the drug of choice for these patients. They have consciously changed their therapy or combined it with conventional medical methods and medications. They are convinced of the effect and consider the side effects to be weaker and more pleasant than is the case with many medications. Many have been treating themselves for years, have a great deal of know-how about the use and production of their medication and, in some cases, have in-depth specialist knowledge.
In recent years, patients around the world have networked via social media and are sharing their experiences. There are patient meetings in various cities in Switzerland.
What cannabis patients fear from new medical regulation
Cannabis is currently being approved for medical use in many countries. These cannabis medications are often sold in pharmacies. The handling from the producer to the pharmacist increases the prices compared to the black market. If the costs are not paid by the health insurance companies, the patients cannot afford the medication despite a prescription from the doctor.
In addition, the quality of cannabis flowers in Germany, for example, is sometimes poor. The German Hemp Association also criticizes the fact that supply bottlenecks for cannabis flowers have been the norm since cannabis was legalized as medicine. Demand was completely misjudged and only 3 to 6 of 32 approved varieties are available. These delivery bottlenecks are associated with significant disadvantages for patients. The example of Germany shows how difficult it is to introduce a functioning medical tax and how important it is not to be dependent on producers from other countries.
Thanks to the CBD boom that emerged a few years ago, Switzerland has a great deal of knowledge about cultivation and an already functioning infrastructure for production. This advantage should not be lost. CBD producers could switch to medical cannabis overnight.
Patients have mixed feelings about the BAG's proposed solutions. It is to be feared that, as in other countries, it will primarily be the pharmacists and the large, international cannabis companies that will get the chance. This turns cannabis into an expensive drug. But there are also countries with other approaches, such as Spain or Belgium. There, patients have the opportunity to grow a certain number of plants themselves or to organize themselves into Medical Cannabis Social Clubs (MCSC). With the estimated 100,000 patients, some of whom have in-depth knowledge and have been connected for years, this would be a sensible approach for Switzerland.
What cannabis patients need before new medical regulation
The affected patients need immediate, unbureaucratic access to medical cannabis until new medical regulations come into force. The current regulation is not practical. Only a few thousand have a BAG permit. Everyone else is treating themselves illegally and is committing a criminal offense. MEDCAN demands impunity for all Swiss patients.
According to BAG, a new regulation for the medical supply of cannabis will go into consultation in June 2019. It will certainly take more than two years before anything changes in the patients' situation. Those affected have been waiting for a long time and can watch the situation around the world changing almost every day. You need a practical interim solution. Otherwise the patients will be forced to help themselves.
Home cultivation and permission to set up medical cannabis social clubs
Until new medical dispensing regulations are implemented and the costs are paid by health insurance companies, those affected must be able to produce their medication as cheaply as possible. The cannabis products available from pharmacies with a license are far too expensive and can push patients to the limit of their financial possibilities. The only way for those affected to get affordable and clean cannabis medicine is to grow their own cannabis.
Patients suggest Medical Cannabis Social Clubs (MCSC) as a concrete model.
- Any Swiss patient who is prescribed cannabis by a doctor can become a member
- Cultivation, harvesting and further processing of cannabis into medicine is carried out by the Association .
- Cannabis is sold exclusively to members
- Each member receives the medically indicated amount they need for their own needs
- Trading cannabis or supplying it to third parties, especially minors, is illegal and will result in exclusion
MEDCAN advocates and supports scientific monitoring of this Association to gain experience for medical
Suggested solutions from patients for dealing with medical cannabis
As you can see in Germany, the demand for the medical use of cannabis is high. This demand will increase in the coming years. Switzerland should not limit itself to just one distribution option. Doctors will be confronted with very different patient groups. Some people already know exactly what they are doing and others need more advice.
On the one hand, we can imagine specialized cannabis pharmacies (dispensaries) in California, analogous to today's CBD shops, where you can get your medication with a prescription from a doctor and showing ID. However, this assumes that the sellers are allowed to provide information about the medical use of cannabis. Of course, this could also be done by pharmacies. However, there is a legitimate risk here that, as in Germany, the costs will become more expensive. In both cases, sales staff must be trained.
Since a lot of experience in medical use can be found among the patients themselves, our preferred solution is permission to grow our own cannabis and to set up medical cannabis social clubs. Those affected can organize themselves into Association and grow and produce their own medicines. This would be primarily intended for people who have been treating themselves for years. Their experiences should be documented scientifically and learned from them. Not using this knowledge would be a big mistake. Since there are only empirical reports and no studies for many diseases, this is the quickest way to better understand the medical effects of cannabis.
An important requirement for patients is that cannabis flowers are regularly examined for their ingredients in the laboratory. They support the idea of a cannabis label to ensure that the raw material for the medicine is not contaminated with pesticides or heavy metals. This is particularly fatal for sick people.
