Thirty years. It is the time taken by Switzerland to move from "Alpine Jamaica" to a national cannabis law.
In fact, the Federal Health Commission passed a law for legalization, which marks a definitive step in the history of the country: always liberal towards this plant.
In this article, we retrace the steps that led to this historic decision, you will discover what the new law provides.
Switzerland: from pilot projects to legalization
It was May 15, 2021 when the Swiss federal law on narcotics was amended to start pilot studies. Experimental legalization projects which would allow the controlled sale of adult-use cannabis to a limited number of participants.
The goal? Study the social and economic effects of effective legalization on the population, in view of future regulation.
However, the actual departure took place in February 2023 with the city of Basel, which they followed Zurich and Lausanne, for one total of six projects authorized to date.
Projects that on the one hand provide for sale, in the pharmacy or appropriate dispensations, inflorescences, extracts, edibles and vaporizer cartridges. And on the other hand participants, carefully selected and registered, who are periodically monitored on their effects and consumption habits.
In the meantime, however, they were not long in coming first positive results, like those registered in Lausanne, which just a month after the start of legalization saw a 5% drop in the black market.
What does the legalization law provide?
"The public health and the protection of minors they should be at the center of a renewed cannabis policy. Adults should be guaranteed strictly regulated access to cannabis," it said communicated of the Swiss Parliament.
Words that resonate in new draft law, which will be discussed over the next 2 years, and which includes:
- Theself-production: it will be possible to legally grow cannabis directly at home.
- Dispense: regulated in the various cantons and with specific license. But with a ban on advertising and sales to minors.
- Online sales: permitted exclusively on a single government site.
- Non-profit model: profits from sales will be reinvested "in prevention, harm reduction and addiction support".
However, the situation changes for growers and producers, for whom commercial production should be allowed for profit.
