Patients have called for Switzerland’s new cannabis laws to address ‘unsatisfactory’ medical access ahead of an upcoming consultation on the draft legislation.
As legislators look to make further reforms to Switzerland’s cannabis laws, campaigners are urging them to consider the daily realities of those who rely on the plant for medical purposes.
In February, a draft federal law to enable Swiss citizens to legally ‘grow, buy, possess and consume cannabis,’ was passed by the National Council’s Social Security and Health Committee with a significant majority (14-9).
Under the new proposal, adults would be allowed to grow, buy, possess, and consume cannabis, but strict rules would be in place to limit commercialisation and prevent increased consumption.
All sales would be subject to a ‘state monopoly,’ meaning cannabis products would only be available in a ‘limited number of licenced’ retailers and sales must ‘not be made for profit’, which should be reinvested into harm reduction, prevention and addiction support.
Swiss citizens will also be permitted to grow up to three female plants, with undisclosed maximum quantities for possession.
A consultation process launching later this summer is expected to give stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft and to help shape the final version of the law.
Seven approved adult-use pilot projects are already ongoing in regions throughout the country, providing legal access to cannabis products for up to a potential 16,000 citizens for the purpose of scientific evaluation.
Preliminary findings from the pilots, including the inaugural Weed Care trial which launched in 2023, have indicated a trend towards lower risk consumption following the introduction of regulated sales.
Medical access remains “unsatisfactory”
However, despite the growing access to cannabis for adult-use, patients still struggle to get access to products for medical purposes, with prices high and prescriber interest low.
Despite a 2022 legal amendment allowing doctors to prescribe cannabis without applying for a government permit, access remains “unsatisfactory” in many areas, advocates say in an open letter, co-authored by Franziska Quadri, President of the patient advocacy group, Verein MEDCAN, and Sven Schendekehl, Secretary of Verein Legalize it!
The letter, addressed to the Commission for Social Security and Health (SGK), urges members to consider the challenges Swiss patients continue to face in accessing regulated cannabis products for medical use, and to create a law that “reflects real-life needs”.
Products remain “unaffordable for many”, the campaigners say, and few have been able to secure reimbursement from their health insurance provider.
“This leads to a two-tier healthcare system where only the well-off can afford effective cannabis therapy, while others – even with a doctor’s prescription – are left behind,” they state.
Franziska Quadri, President of the patient advocacy group, Verein MEDCAN
Campaigners are calling for the mandatory reimbursement of medical cannabis prescriptions, and for all patients to be able to access “legal and safe alternatives” to the illegal market “regardless of income”.
There should be, the letter adds, “a clear distinction between medical and recreational use” to ensure that prescriptions based on medical diagnoses are “recognised as legitimate treatment and reimbursed accordingly”.
As many medical professionals remain hesitant to prescribe, they also want to see efforts to increase education and specialist knowledge of cannabis-based medicine among healthcare professionals to reduce stigmatisation of patients.
Home grow and collective cultivation
While the inclusion of home-cultivation in the draft law is an “important step in the right direction”, campaigners say that the limit of three plants per household is “not enough” and should be based on “actual need” rather than an “arbitrary limit”. The groups are also calling for legislation to include collective cultivation through associations or social clubs.
“Yields per plant are unpredictable and depend on many factors. What matters is not the number of plants, but the actual quantity a person may produce according to their personal needs,” they state.
“It is equally important to allow collective cultivation. This fosters social structures, improves quality control, and encourages mutual oversight.”
Should the draft bill be implemented, cannabis would still be classified as a narcotic, and cantons will retain significant oversight into the regulations in their specific territory, holding the power to issue licenses and playing an ‘important role in enforcement.’
But campaigners say the new law should focus on “clear and fair regulation” instead of “prohibitionist policies, and only a “practical” legal framework that does not “overburden authorities with excessive bureaucracy” will ensure “broad acceptance and effective implementation”.
“We warmly welcome the fact that politics is finally taking this issue seriously again,” say Quadri of Verein MEDCAN, and Schendekehl, of Verein Legalize it!
“The first results from pilot projects already demonstrate how effective a regulated distribution of cannabis can be – whether for health protection, youth protection, or consumer safety. It is now all the more important to create legislation that works in practice and takes the needs of the people affected seriously.”
The post Patients Say Swiss Cannabis Law Must Address ‘Unsatisfactory’ Medical Access Ahead of Further Reform appeared first on Cannabis Health News.
Continue reading...
