ARGE CANNA is an Austrian non-profit association that supports patients using or interested in medical cannabis.
The organisation's goals include increasing awareness of therapeutic capabilities and medicinal potential of cannabis, expanding health insurance coverage for cannabinoid medicines, and reducing the price of cannabis products
ARGE CANNA provides personalised patient counselling and support, lobbies on behalf of patients' interests, develops research projects and studies, collects scientific data, etc.
Legal Situation in Austria
In Austria, cannabis is subject to the provisions of the Narcotic Substances Act (SMG). The classification of cannabis as an addictive substance is based on the United Nations Convention on Narcotic Drugs. It is a criminal offence to acquire, possess, produce, import, export or give cannabis to another person. Consumption should not be punished, but in practice consumption is also criminalised because it almost always goes hand in hand with possession.
An exception for the production of medicinal cannabis only exists for the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES). AGES is owned by the Republic of Austria, represented by the Federal Ministers of Health and Agriculture. Since an amendment to the law in 2008, AGES has been permitted to cultivate medical cannabis and pass it on to authorised customers, usually companies in the pharmaceutical industry. For this purpose, §6a was changed in 2008. There is thus a monopoly of the Austrian state for the production of medical cannabis.
Proud Member Since 2018
Formula Swiss has been providing financial support to ARGE CANNA since 2018.