The effects of the change in the law
Shortly after the change in the law, the board held numerous online discussions with various parties. Many were interested in benefiting from the patients’ experiences. Our board is well informed about the situation in Switzerland and internationally. However, this coveted information was not given away for free; Rather, we asked our interlocutors to support us. We have now gained over 25 company members who support us with contributions of between 200 and 1,000 francs per year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our supporters!
Events and public relations
The first event in 2023 was the online general meeting on April 20th. Here the annual report and financial statements were presented to the members present. Exciting discussions then developed about the situation of the patients and the future of the Association .
CannaTrade took place from May 12th to 14th, 2023 after a long break. The Association MEDCAN was represented with a stand on site and spent three days providing information about the medical use of cannabis. Franziska and Felix were also participants in the panel on the topic of medical applications in Switzerland. We would like to thank the organizer, who always provides us with a platform to make the patients' voices heard.
On June 6th, Franziska and Simon were invited by the Stauffacher Apotheke in Zurich, the first pharmacy specializing in the medical use of cannabis. Our Association received a warm welcome and the pharmacy staff questioned our members in detail. Our new website also lists other pharmacies that are informed about the medical use of cannabis. MEDCAN is happy to take time with pharmacies to communicate what patients need.
National and international partnerships
Felix attended the meetings of the Swiss Society for Cannabis in Medicine (SGCM) throughout the year. He is part of the board of this medical specialist organization and represents the patient’s point of view. Thank you very much for your effort.
Simon attended weekly IACM Patient Council meetings. This coalition of international cannabis patient organizations is trying to make change on an international level. Simon represents the Swiss patients and actively participates in the meetings. Thank you very much for your effort.
Ongoing work and future prospects
In the second part of the year the work became no less intense. Many phone calls continued, information was passed on and all printed matter and the website had to be revised after the change in the law. The new website is now online in 4 languages.
At the beginning of November, the first information event about cannabis in medicine took place in Lucerne. Together with medical professionals, Simon welcomed people to the University of Lucerne who wanted to find out more about the medical use of cannabis. Almost 80 participants took part and the event was considered a success. We also plan to hold information events and webinars in 2024.
We would like to thank all of our members and supporters. We look forward to continuing to advance the Association in 2024 and continuing to advocate for the medical use of cannabis.
