Swiss nurture cannabis for pain relief

Mention Swiss farming and images of dairy cows spring to mind – not cannabis plants. But now the government says it wants to do more research into medicinal cannabis and make treatments with it more available.  On a farm in lush green countryside, an hour from the capital Berne, Markus Lüdi proudly surveys his crop. It’s almost harvest time, and this year, after the long hot summer, it’s likely to be a good one. His plants are valuable – as shown by the high fence and electronic gate protecting them. Markus is actually a chemist, not a farmer, and his crop consists of hundreds of cannabis plants, which he uses to produce cannabis-based medicine.  Switzerland has flirted with legalising cannabis for 25 years, without ever taking the plunge. Cannabis debate: What you need to know What are the rules about cannabis oil in the ? Medicinal cannabis review called ‘cruel’  Possession of the drug for recreational use has been decriminalised, but cultivating or selling large quantities of cannabis containing more than 1% of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the key psychoactive element in the plant, is a crime. Not so for Markus, however, as his plants are designated for medicinal use.  “We have a special permit from the Swiss Federal Office,” he explains.  This harvest will be turned into cannabis tincture, and cannabis oil. There will be enough to last several hundred patients across Switzerland for a year. And he can grow a 10% surplus, in case more patients are prescribed it. But Markus cannot export his products, despite demand from neighbouring Germany, where medicinal cannabis is permitted.Restrictions In the small market town of Langnau is the only pharmacy in Switzerland which stocks medicinal cannabis. Here too the strict controls surrounding the drug are apparent.  Each patient prescribed it by a doctor must also get a special permit from the Swiss Federal Office, and pharmacist Daniela Eigenmann must have a permit for each prescription. Daniela points out that cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. “In 2,700 BC, a Chinese emperor used it against malaria, and rheumatism,” she says. “I think it should be available. It’s not a miracle cure, it won’t help everyone, but patients should have the opportunity to have it.” Cannabis to smoke is not prescribed in Switzerland, though some German doctors, unable to access the oils and tinctures, prescribe cannabis flowers which can be smoked.Chronic pain Most of Daniela’s patients take the cannabis oil or tincture for chronic pain.  Some are para- or tetraplegic and suffer agonising spasms, others have multiple sclerosis, others, like Bernadette Niklaus, have suffered a lifetime of pain. “My pain began when I was a little girl, I have scoliosis,” she explains.  “I had all sorts of treatments. They put metal in my back to stiffen it, then took it out again. There came a point when I said if I can’t get some relief from this pain, I’m going to end it all.” After spending years on various

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