Ab August Cannabismedizin in der Schweiz unkompliziert? - Internationale Hanfpolitik - Hanf Magazin

From August cannabis medicine in Switzerland uncomplicated? - International hemp policy - Hemp Magazine

Cannabis as a medicine in Switzerland is a difficult thing. It was only with the acceptance of Motion 14.4164 Kessler “Cannabis for the Seriously Ill” in the Federal Assembly in 2015 that the course was set in a better direction. Now, seven years later, the country's Narcotics Act is being amended to allow easy access to medical cannabis preparations.

So far, special permits from the state have always been required, but this should finally be taken over by medical professionals who can now prescribe natural medicine like opiates. However, it is not yet possible to assess whether everything will ultimately turn out well for the estimated 100,000 people who already rely on cannabis.

Many unanswered questions – for patients and doctors

On August 1st, the Narcotics Act in Switzerland is to be changed. From this point onwards, medical cannabis can then be prescribed by doctors. But just a few days before the appointment, there is still a lot that is still unclear and, like in Germany, doctors who are actually familiar with the subject are rare. The Swiss Medical Cannabis Association – MEDCAN for short – knows that the real educational work is only just beginning. In a press release dated July 25, MEDCAN criticizes the many unanswered questions associated with the release as medicine develop.

In addition, attention is drawn to the fact that the prices of the few Swiss cannabis medicines are clearly too high. It has not yet been clarified whether and how cannabis flowers can be used for therapies in Germany. Something that many patients have been using successfully for a long time. First and foremost, however, one sees the problem of the lack of interest on the part of the physicians, so that it could be difficult or impossible for those affected to obtain the natural medicine legally.

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Assumption of costs questionable - and more

In order for a patient to be allowed to use cannabis as medicine, it is also the case in Switzerland that all other forms of therapy have to be tried out in advance and assessed as unhelpful. Only then does a sick person have access to the cannabis preparations that have been available up to now, which in Switzerland are regularly dosed particularly weakly and are excessively expensive compared to other countries. Because health insurance coverage is a rarity, MEDCAN complains that cannabis is an expensive drug that only the country's wealthy residents will be able to afford. Thus, the amendment to the Narcotics Act only establishes a status quo instead of actually changing the situation. Loud to the patient would be important MEDCAN but that different cannabis strains with different ingredients and modes of action appear on the market and that the prices remain affordable. The form of intake should not be restricted.

The Swiss Medical Cannabis Association also points out that in the future a lot of money will be earned from patients, which is why their objections and wishes must be taken into account. The work of the association would only be done if enough important educational work could be done and every patient with an existing desire to use cannabis medicinally is put in this position.

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