Switzerland generalizes the use of cannabis for medical purposes

Obtaining a cannabis joint on a simple prescription is now possible in Switzerland. The country generalizes, Monday, August 1, the use of medical cannabis. The Swiss could already obtain it in the event of serious and painful illnesses, but this required authorization from the Ministry of Health. A long and tedious process. From now on, it is the doctor who will decide alone.

The head of the addiction service at the University Hospitals of Geneva, Daniele Zullino, welcomes this relaxation of the legislation. Even if he is worried about potential abuses: “As we saw in some states in the United States, where we hyper-medicalized cannabis, all of a sudden everyone had an indication for medical cannabis. In fact, it was a festive consumption that passed through the medical system. It is an abuse of the medical system. We forget that it is a debate rather of society.

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Cannabis for medical use is a well-established reality in Switzerland. Each year, the Federal Council gives the green light to several thousand patients. It is even consumed in some retirement homes to relieve residents with muscle pain or anxiety disorders.

For its part, the subject of the legalization of recreational cannabis regularly comes up on the table in Switzerland. Several cities, including Zurich, Lausanne and Basel are about to launch pilot sales projects in pharmacies or via associations to a few handpicked volunteers. It is estimated that every year the Swiss smoke 56 tonnes of cannabis. That’s the equivalent of 750,000 joints a day.