The IACM Patient Council is under the patronage of the International Association of Cannabinoid Medicines (IACM). The cooperation is professional and close and helps to strengthen the credibility of the Association . Only national patient organizations may become members of the patient council. Individuals are not accepted. Each organization is represented by one member. This acts as a “connector” by providing information about current developments, activities and concerns in their country.
MEDCAN represents Switzerland – in the person of Simón Winistörfer, our vice president. He regularly takes part in the meetings, discusses and explains the problems and interests of those affected in Switzerland. Here you can find more information about the state representatives.
The participation is top-class. Some regularly speak on the subject of cannabis at conferences and have been committed to those affected on the international stage for years. Carola Perez - head of two Spanish patient organizations - was allowed to speak to the UN at the beginning of March and explain the interests and problems of international cannabis patients. This is a milestone! MEDCAN would like to thank Carola for her tireless work.
Now global cooperation is required
It is hoped that enough members in the countries will be encouraged to actively participate in working groups and build an international coalition for cannabis patients. It would be so important to build a functioning lobby group. But it is a very ambitious undertaking. The IACM Patient Council wants to create equal access to cannabis and cannabinoids for medical treatment for everyone worldwide - regardless of where they live and their financial status. Nobody should be forgotten. This is what the patient council is committed to in its manifesto. And like MEDCAN, he demands the right to grow his own medicine. This point is non-negotiable. You can find the entire IACM Patient Council manifesto here.
Goal – global access to cannabis as medicine
The IACM Patient Council faces a mammoth task. The activists in the various countries are mostly affected themselves and, in addition to their national political commitment, also fight the daily battle for self-sufficiency with their medication and the illegality. They are often seriously ill themselves and need all their energy for this fight. It is all the more important that stable organizations with paid jobs are now built around the world to take on this fight. This requires money and members in national organizations worldwide. In Switzerland it is estimated that over 100,000 sick people are already using cannabis. Association t we are a strong voice and could have an influence in the future.
The medical use of cannabis is set to become easier this summer
That's why MEDCAN is currently concentrating primarily on Switzerland. Our members work on various projects and try to represent the interests of patients at all levels. It is now possible to influence the implementation of the Narcotics Act. There are also interesting future visions of how scientific evidence can be collected to open the way for cannabis into medicine. Such projects are groundbreaking and entirely in our spirit. But the Association MEDCAN is not yet big enough either. Our capacity is limited. We are all the more pleased about members and donations in order to remain effective in the future.
