Legalization of cannabis in Switzerland: first step taken

A parliamentary initiative to legalize cannabis in Switzerland has passed its first hurdle in the Swiss Parliament, with the National Council's Health Committee voting in favor.

Submitted by Heinz Siegenthaler of the bourgeois-democratic party, this initiative calls for regulation of the cannabis market in Switzerland. It is intended to complement the previous amendment of the LStup on pilot tests, which will give 5,000 people access to cannabis per pilot test.

The Commission's vote is just the beginning of a long process. Discussions had already begun on the pilot tests before February 2016 ending in April 2021.

The Green Party, which tabled a similar proposal 3 years ago, welcomed the Commission's decision.

https://twitter.com/LesVertsSuisses/status/1388138173063221249?s=20

Drying up the black market

Assuming that 300,000 people regularly use cannabis in Switzerland, Heinz Siegenthaler points out in his initiative that «the Federal Council itself points out [...] that the current prohibition of cannabis in the Narcotics Law (LStup), which is intended to protect the population, does not go far enough».

He adds that «the prohibition of cannabis, compared with legal drugs, is not based on recent scientific evidence, especially as the harmfulness of tobacco and alcohol is no less. The moral and legal arguments used are becoming increasingly untenable. Finally, only a regulated market would meet the requirements of Switzerland's drug policy.»

With this in mind, he proposes that the legislation be amended «so that the cultivation, production, trade and consumption of cannabis containing THC pursue the following objectives»:

• entrust the authorities with the task of controlling production and trade, in particular for the purposes of protecting young people and consumers and providing information
• separate medical and non-medical markets
• dry up the black market by abolishing prohibition
• introduce a tax and regulate advertising
• control production for personal use