Your latest cannabis business info from Europe

Your latest cannabis business info from Europe

2023-10-17

Transforming lives: a journey with medical cannabis in Switzerland

medical cannabis Switzerland

A life-changing event in 2009 made one individual from Switzerland start a journey with medical cannabis. We were talking with Franziska Quadri, a medical cannabis patient and activist and now also a President of MEDCAN Schweiz. The Medical Cannabis Association (MEDCAN) was founded in Zurich at the end of 2014. This interview sheds light on the revolutionary effect of this alternative treatment option by giving insight into her own experience with medical cannabis.

Discovering the potential of medical cannabis

Mrs. Franziska suffered a serious accident that led her to rehabilitation in 2009. She first came across medical cannabis as a potential painkiller at the Paraplegic Centre in Nottwil, Switzerland, where the adventure began. She became curious after seeing other paraplegic patients using cannabis to relieve pain. Franziska knew cannabis only from recreational usage. However, she decided to give it a try in order to treat her neuropathic pain and spasticity.

Later she was surprised to find that medical cannabis not only efficiently controlled her symptoms. It also had less adverse effects than traditional pharmaceutical medications. Even in the face of legal prohibitions, she continued to use cannabis as her preferred method of pain management after her discovery.

Improving quality of life

The interviewee primarily took medical cannabis to treat her severe neuropathic pain and severe spasticity. Medical cannabis has had a significant positive influence on her quality of life. She has been able to lessen the number of prescription drugs she needed to take as part of her treatment plan. She could keep her mental clarity and reduce adverse effects.

Emotionally, medical cannabis gave her essential support in helping her come to terms with her condition and accept her fate. Above all, it provides her with efficient relief from the pain that she experiences every day.

Overcoming legal hurdles

Franziska Quadri faced various obstacles when trying to get access to her preferred medicine in Switzerland, where medical cannabis was formerly prohibited. The legal environment was unfavourable and medical professionals frequently hesitated to offer prescription assistance. Patients were already struggling with high prices, and health insurance rarely covered cannabis-related drugs.

The law in Switzerland has just changed to allow doctors to directly prescribe cannabis, much like they can with opiates. This encouraging move might improve the situation for individuals using medical cannabis by making it more accessible and possibly lowering the price.

Advocating for medical cannabis

Mrs. Franziska Quadri strongly urges others to look into medical cannabis as a possible cure. Patients in Switzerland have the right to view cannabis as a respectable medical option given the country’s evolving legal climate. As she claims on MEDCAN’s website:

“(…) it means a lot to me to use the association’s work to inform people about the possibilities of cannabis therapy, to protect people from drug addiction and at the same time to win more and more supporters for our concerns in public and politics.”

Numerous advantages are available from medical cannabis, such as anti-inflammatory effects, pain alleviation, better sleep, mood stabilisation, and more.

It is critical for people to express their rights and urge their doctors to become informed about cannabis’ medical benefits as a result of the new law. Patients can actively promote accessibility and acceptance, particularly in the face of persistent stereotypes and false information.

The future of medical cannabis in Europe

There is optimism for a dramatic change in cannabis policy across Europe in the future. The interviewee emphasises how legalisation in Germany could serve as a catalyst for change across the continent. In order to defend patients’ rights and change public opinions of cannabis use in medicine, patient organisations like the MEDCAN Association and the international IACM Patient Council are essential.

To sum up, this conversation provides insight into the potential of medical cannabis in Switzerland and the larger European environment. The future of medical cannabis in Europe presents hope for people looking for complementary and potent treatments for their medical ailments, thanks to changing rules and expanding patient activism.

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