Cannabis on sale in Swiss pharmacies in Bern

The city of Berne, Switzerland, intends to pilot the sale of cannabis in pharmacies to a group of pre-designated consumers.

The town council has asked the University of Bern to set up the project. The concept for the study is to be drawn up in a maximum of four months, with a budget of 20,000 Swiss francs.

The exact number of participants in this study has not yet been decided, but there will be several hundred of them, all of legal age, residents of Berne and cannabis consumers.

The maximum quantity and price at which patients will be able to purchase cannabis have not been set. Patients will be able to obtain their cannabis from pharmacies, which «enjoy the trust of the population and have the necessary expertise in the management and handling of narcotics», Green City Councillor Franziska Teuscher (pictured above) explained to the Swiss media. The pharmacies also have the necessary security and control systems to implement the project.

This project is part of the previously mentioned’open cannabis clubs in four Swiss cities (Zurich, Basel, Geneva and Bern). Its general aim is to limit the harmful consequences of the black market and related crime, while enabling better control and increased risk prevention.

The final sticking point remains the Swiss Confederation, which must authorize the University of Berne to set up this pilot project. Cannabis consumption is still prohibited in Switzerland.