Switzerland becomes the first European country to launch a pilot cannabis sales program to study the effects of cannabis legalization.
The so-called Weed Care pilot program will officially start on September 15 and is expected to last two and a half years and end in March 2025. The program includes 370 participants, based in Basel.
Trial program in Basel
The participants in the pilot program are over 18 years old, live in the canton of Basel-Stadt and are already cannabis consumers. Throughout the study, participants are regularly asked about, among other things, their cannabis consumption behavior and physical and mental health.
“The first research question is whether consumption changes – whether more, less or the same is being consumed,” said Regine Steinauer, head of the addiction department at the University of Basel, as reported by Euronews. She added that the study would also examine whether mental and physical health changes when cannabis is consumed in pharmacies.
Participants can purchase four types of cannabis products and two types of hash-based products on presentation of their ID from the nine pharmacies participating in the study. Pharmacies will sell cannabis-based products from CHF 8 (about $8) to CHF 12 (about $12) per gram, a price determined by the current state of the illegal market. The THC content of dried flowers ranges from 5% to 17%, while hash products have a THC content between 13% and 20%.
cannabis regulations
Participants in the trial can buy 5 gram packs in pharmacies and consume cannabis products only in private rooms. Since the current law does not penalize possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis, participants can purchase a maximum of two packs per purchase.
According to the Swiss Federal Office of Health (FOPH), the pilot program aims to increase knowledge of the pros and cons of controlled access to cannabis and provide a scientific basis to legalize adult cannabis in the country. FOPH approved the cannabis sales pilot program on April 19, and it will be implemented jointly by the University of Basel, the University Psychiatric Clinics and the Ministry of Health of the Canton of Basel-Stadt.
At least 200.000 active users
Lukas Engelberger, medical director of Basel's health department, said in a Facebook post that the Basel-based cannabis sales pilot project is the first in the country. However, other Swiss cities are working on a similar program. "I am happy with that. I would of course prefer that we don't use cannabis at all, with all the associated risks and disadvantages. However, we must say that the current prohibition regime has not led to a decline in consumption. It is therefore appropriate and important to test new regulatory models,” he wrote.
On May 15, 2021, an amendment to the federal narcotics law came into effect, allowing trials of the controlled sale of cannabis to adults in Switzerland, albeit limited in terms of time and space. Despite being illegal, the FOPH estimates that there are at least 200.000 adult active cannabis users in the country.
Against legalization
Switzerland held a referendum in 2008 to legalize the consumption, purchase and cultivation of cannabis for personal use. However, about 63% of Swiss citizens voted against the proposal. On August 1, 2022, Switzerland fully legalized access to medical cannabis with a doctor's prescription and allowed the export of medicinal cannabis products for commercial purposes.
A study conducted by the University of Geneva and the consultancy EBP reveals that the cannabis industry in Switzerland could generate 1 billion CHF (about $1 billion) per year.
Source: Forbes.com (EN)
