Swiss cities authorised to distribute cannabis for scientific studies
Parliament has approved a modification to the Swiss narcotics law that will allow studies of recreational cannabis use in the country’s largest cities.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/jdp
Both houses approved the change to the law on Wednesday following debate over whether the cannabis distributed to users had to be of local or organic origin.
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party saw this as an opportunity to support the country’s agriculture sector. Parliament ultimately decided that Swiss and organic cannabis should be used as far as possible.
The vote paves the way for scientific studies on the effects of the controlled use of cannabis to be carried out. This is intended to help evaluate the effects of new regulations on the recreational use of cannabis and ultimately, combat the black market distribution of cannabis.
One third of the Swiss population is reported to have already smoked marijuana and some 200,000 people use it on a regular basis. Several cities including Bern, Geneva, Zurich and Basel have shown interest in conducting studies to better understand the current cannabis market.
Any pilot projects that involve the distribution of cannabis will be regulated by a strict framework along with an enforcement order. Participation in pilot projects will be limited to cannabis users who are at least 18 years old. The health status of participants will be closely monitored.
Trials will not last for more than five years and the number of participants should not exceed 5,000 per trial.
This content was published on
Switzerland's economy grew slightly at the start of 2024, with growth in the service sector contrasting with weak growth in industry.
Swiss employment rate rises in first quarter of 2023
This content was published on
The number of women and foreign nationals in employment increased particularly strongly, the Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday.
Coercion still an issue in Swiss welfare system, report finds
This content was published on
The rights of vulnerable people are still sometimes disregarded by the Swiss welfare system, a national research programme has found.
This content was published on
Viola Amherd has expressed her “deep shock” at the assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday.
This content was published on
A man injured half a dozen people with knives, two of them seriously, before being arrested on Wednesday in northern Switzerland.
Switzerland to introduce flight passenger database
This content was published on
Switzerland plans to introduce a flight passenger database to collect and process personal data in a bid to combat terrorism and serious crime.
Government plans to invest over CHF16bn in Swiss rail network
This content was published on
The federal government intends to invest CHF16.4 billion ($18.1 billion) in railway infrastructure between 2025 and 2028, CHF2 billion more than for the current period.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss cannabis market worth up to half a billion francs annually
This content was published on
Cannabis remains by far the most widespread drug enjoyed in Switzerland, even if the value of the market is much lower than that for cocaine.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.