MEDCAN
In Switzerland, the Medical Cannabis Association Switzerland (MEDCAN) is at the forefront of educating and promoting awareness of the benefits of medical cannabis. Our partner Tobias J. Jenni is currently on the board of this partnership.
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To this end, MEDCAN is in contact with different institutions and federal government departments across the country to inform and clarify the use of cannabis by patients. They are committed to effective cannabis regulation and advocating that cannabis for medical use, like other medicines, be paid by health insurance.
SPREADING THE NEWS
While some doctors are strongly in favor of taking cannabis because of the many studies that show its benefits, there is still a lot of ignorance about how the drug can be used and what dosage is required by different patients.
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Generally, this type of information is not taught in medical school, and because of its illegal status in many countries, strong data from experiments are hard to come by.
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For this reason, MEDCAN has pushed the Federal Office of Public Health to educate doctors about medical cannabis and the many benefits it has.
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The Problems of Self-medication
Patients who require medical cannabis often self-medicate behind closed doors and use trial and error to find the right application and dosage. Unfortunately, there is a lack of good information or sharing of knowledge with other patients with similar medical situations. It is true though that the required dosage can vary between one patient and another, even if they have the same ailments or disease.
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For some conditions, particularly with cancers, curative therapy requires high doses of cannabis. Despite having to take large amounts of the drug to relieve symptoms, it is generally impossible for patients to have their cannabis tested in order to know exactly what the active ingredient is (some diseases or conditions may require different types of cannabis with varying cannabinoids and terpenes) or if pollutants are contained in their dosage.
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Switzerland’s federal council, however, is moving to legalize medical cannabis. The full implications of this move will be explored in a forthcoming article once the legislation passes.
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The Role of MEDCAN
MEDCAN is committed to providing easier access to cannabis as a medicine. For patients using cannabis, MEDCAN aims to give them a face, tell their stories and get them away from the black market.
MEDCAN members come from a wide variety of age groups and social status. Members often have a long history of suffering behind them, whether it be physical or mental, and have deliberately switched treatment to cannabis or combine it with conventional medical medications. Many feel that the side effects of cannabis are lower compared to many medications.
Stronger Together
MEDCAN considers it important to unite patients as only together can they become strong. As long as everyone is treated behind closed doors, they will continue to be forgotten by the authorities and politicians. Anyone can become a member and help support their demands for meaningful and effective cannabis policy in the medical field.
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The most common treated diseases by cannabis are: Multiple Sclerosis / Spinal Cord Injury / Spinal Cord Disease / Cancer / HIV/AIDS / Arthritis /Epilepsy / Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohns Disease) / End of Life Care / Insomnia / Glaucoma / Mental health conditions like schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety / Osteoporosis / Appetite loss & eating disorders such as Anorexia.