The media also contacted us to report on the situation of those affected. A detailed article appeared in the magazine Schweizer Familie, and Radio SRF broadcast a fascinating podcast, which is also available online. You can find both articles here.
Furthermore, we have already organized three events this year: – The first We, The Patientsevent took place in Zurich on March 1st . – Our general assembly followed on April 26th. – We held the We, The Patientscultivation workshop on May 24th .
We hope you enjoyed these events, and we plan to offer more such gatherings in the future. We are already in the planning stages and will tell you more after the summer break.
Last weekend in May, we also attended the Buds and Beats Festival in Zurich Oerlikon. The two-day event was a success – there is a clear need for education, networking, and exchange. We had many conversations, shared information, made contacts, and were delighted to see our community continue to grow.
Before we tackle new projects, we need a break. We'll be taking a summer break from July to mid-August. We'll still be available by email and Telegram, but we won't be responding to inquiries as regularly. There will also be no newsletter in July. We wish all our members a wonderful summer!
August 1st also marks the third anniversary of the legal amendment. Much has improved, and some members now receive prescriptions and even have their costs covered by health insurance. Nevertheless, many still struggle with the high costs – several hundred or even over a thousand francs per month, which chronically ill people simply cannot afford. It also often remains difficult to find a doctor who will prescribe cannabis.
In international comparison, Switzerland fares better than some of its neighbors despite these challenges. We should be aware of this: here, we have the option of obtaining cannabis by prescription from pharmacies – something that is still not the case in many European countries. Nevertheless, the urgently needed support from health insurance companies remains lacking. This continues to be a major obstacle, as insurers demand studies that no one is willing to fund. Perhaps the announced legalization legislation will offer a new opportunity to bring the problems faced by patients back into focus.
We thank you for your trust and wish everyone a relaxing summer with as little pain as possible!
