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.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 20km during holiday weekend
This content was published on
The traffic jam at the Gotthard north portal reached a length of 20 kilometres on the motorway between canton Nidwalden and canton Uri.
Swiss Interior Minister visits Cannes Film Festival
This content was published on
Swiss Interior Minister left the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday after three days of intensive dialogue, meetings and film screenings.
Swiss theatre director breaks with tradition at Vienna’s Rathausplatz
This content was published on
With the proclamation of the "Free Republic of Vienna", the start of the festival on Friday evening was unusually political.
Swiss foreign minister backs Berset at Council of Europe
This content was published on
Cassis described Berset as the "ideal candidate" to help the Council realise its aim of ensuring security and peace in Europe.
Gay conversion therapy banned in Swiss canton of Valais
This content was published on
On Thursday, the canton approved a new Health Act which includes a ban on therapies aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity.
This content was published on
Some aspects of pro-Palestine sit-ins have gone too far, but the right to protest and debate must be upheld, the student association has said.
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.