Berne will start selling cannabis legally this autumn. Geneva also authorized.

The Swiss city of Bern will join Basel, Zurich, Lausanne and Geneva and will begin legally distributing cannabis this fall.

The pilot program in Bern for the regulated sale of cannabis in pharmacies, known as SCRIPT, for Safer Cannabis – A Randomized Controlled Trial in Pharmacies, has in fact just been approved by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the Cantonal Ethics Committee, and the Ethics Committee of Northwestern and Central Switzerland.

Main objective: to assess the health and social effects of «strictly regulated, nonprofit» cannabis sales in pharmacies. To this end, the study will be conducted by the Universities of Bern and Lucerne. It will last three years, from October 2023 to April 2026.

It will be conducted in the cities of Bern, Biel and Lucerne and is expected to begin «likely in the fall.» The trial plans to recruit 1,091 participants, including about 600 in the federal city.

Only individuals who already use cannabis for recreational purposes and are at least 18 years old will be eligible to participate in the study. Only half of the participants will be allowed to purchase cannabis products during the first six months.

Measuring the Effects of Legalization

According to Reto Auer, head of the SCRIPT study at the University of Bern: «The goal of the study is to examine the health and social effects of strictly regulated, nonprofit cannabis sales in pharmacies.».

In this context, study participants will be able to purchase cannabis-based products—which were produced specifically for the study—at selected pharmacies. The pharmacies will cover their expenses with the proceeds from these sales and will operate on a nonprofit basis.

The study aims to test regulations designed to strictly control supply and demand while allowing for risk-reduction measures. For example, advertising will not be permitted, and products will be sold in plain, standardized packaging.

Reto Auer explains : «These measures are intended to make the products less appealing, especially to young people. We know how effective these measures are in the field of tobacco prevention,» he said, before adding: «The goal of our study is therefore not simply to legalize cannabis, but to test risk-reduction measures to address the problems caused by prohibition and the illicit market while controlling the supply and demand for these products.».

The study is expected to provide data to inform potential future federal regulation of cannabis aimed at promoting public health and social welfare.

Geneva Receives Its Authorization

A pilot project for the regulated sale of cannabis in Geneva has also been approved by the Federal Office of Public Health.

This green light «recognizes the meticulous preparation carried out by the various partners»—namely the Canton, the municipality of Vernier—located just a few kilometers from the French border, where the sales outlet will be set up—the Carrefour Addictions association, and the other members of the ChanGE association, which will oversee the trial. The scientific evaluation of the project will be conducted by the Addiction Medicine Service at the Geneva University Hospitals and the University’s Department of Sociology.

The opening date of the retail location, called La Cannabinothèque, depends on when cannabis production begins and the time required for its cultivation and preparation. It has yet to be finalized, as does the date when people interested in participating in the trial can sign up. The trial will run for three years with approximately 1,000 participants.