Lausanne to start selling legal cannabis in September

The third Swiss pilot test, which aims to experiment with the legal distribution of cannabis in selected Swiss cities, will therefore see the light of day in Lausanne from September 2023.

Lausanne's project for the regulated sale of cannabis, known as «Cann-L», has been authorized by the Federal Office of Public Health, joining other projects that have already been approved in Basel and Zurich.

1,200 people who already use cannabis and live in Lausanne will be able to take part in the trial in the capital. The products will be available at a single point of sale, with no medical connotations.

«After the cantonal ethics commission, the FOPH's authorization marks a major milestone for our project», commented Emilie Moeschler, in charge of social cohesion for the city of Lausanne, quoted in the press release. She added that the concrete phase could now begin, with the launch of registrations as a first step.

Necessary to the study, the «local and organic» cultivation of the plants can also begin. The first harvest will take place during the summer, before they go on sale in September.

These products will be intended «for personal consumption in the private sphere», stresses the capital of the canton of Vaud. With this pilot project, the city aims to study «the effects of regulated non-profit sales of cannabis on consumer behaviour, as well as its impact on the illegal market.»

In Basel, a study on the regulated distribution of cannabis began at the end of January, with just under 400 participants. Cannabis is available in pharmacies there.

The Zurich project, due to start in mid-August, involves the sale of cannabis in 21 outlets, including pharmacies, Social Clubs and a drug information center.

Cann-L's approach complements those of Basel and Zurich. «All of these projects will contribute to the reflections on the evolution of federal legislation in the field of cannabis,» says the City of Lausanne. Other trials elsewhere in Switzerland could be added to this list, particularly in Vernier in the canton of Geneva.