Trial of legal cannabis sales in Berne, Biel and Lucerne opens for registration

The cities of Biel, Berne and Lucerne have opened registrations for their pilot project for the sale of regulated cannabis, the University of Berne announced yesterday, November 22. As the focus is on safety aspects, the names of participating pharmacies will not be published.

Participants in the study will be able to purchase a variety of cannabis products, including flowers, hash and oil with different levels of THC and CBD, in selected pharmacies from February 2024.

Limited number of participants

In all, the pilot project will involve around 1,000 participants in the 3 communities, including about 700 for Berne and 170 for Bienne.

The University of Berne, which runs the project under the name «Script», for Safer Cannabis - Research In Pharmacies randomised controlled trial, indicates that feedback from other pilot studies currently underway suggests that demand may exceed available places.

In this case, priority will be given to people living in the cities of Berne and Biel.

Priority to health and neutrality

Like the other studies already in place, The main aim of the study is to examine the health and social effects of the regulated sale of cannabis. Led by the University of Berne, it emphasizes that product advertising is not permitted, and that products must be packaged in a neutral, standardized manner.

Participation in the study is open to adults living in the canton of Berne who already use cannabis regularly. The city of Lucerne plans to record the project in 2024 with around 250 participants.

Previously, experiments had been approved in Lausanne, Basel, Zurich and Geneva. In Basel, the sale of Swiss-grown cannabis for the experiment began, and in Zurich in August. In Lausanne, registration has begun, and Geneva is due to follow in December.