Cannabis legalization pilot projects in Switzerland: the Federal Council persists

At its summer session, the Conseil National had voted 96 to 93 the rejection of a motion to introduce pilot projects for the legalization of cannabis in certain communes. This week, the Federal Council decided to relaunch the project, putting it out to consultation until October 25. In the meantime, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is due to hold a hearing on the subject. municipalities and cantons interested in the project, In the meantime, we have set up a consultation procedure with all stakeholders, pending a vote by the parliamentary chambers, which is likely to take place during the winter session.

In view of the complexity of the situation, involving many players such as the Federal Council, the Council of States and the National Council, Simon Anderfuhren, project manager at GREA (Groupement Romand d'Etudes des Addictions), associate researcher at the University of Geneva's Institut de Recherche Sociologique and independent consultant, decodes this new development for us: «Swiss cannabis policy is a veritable sea serpent. We've been thinking about legal regulation for over 20 years. However, the fact that the Federal Council is once again taking the lead in this area is a positive sign. The consultation phase will enable the players involved to express their clear views on the subject. For the political analyst, this stage will clarify the situation and reveal the preferences of the players involved.

As for the chances of the new proposal passing, Simon Anderfuhren prefers to be optimistic: «In view of the balance of power (96/93) last time on a similar subject, we can rationally say that the text could finally pass».»

Project details

The Federal Council would like to make it clear that this project will in no way change the ban on cannabis consumption in Switzerland. It is simply a question of experimenting, in a highly supervised way, in order to study the problem as thoroughly as possible. The project is subject to a number of conditions. Firstly, minors will be formally excluded from experimentation, as will pregnant or breast-feeding women. Only adult volunteers will be able to take part, provided they can prove that they are already using the drug, are not undergoing psychiatric treatment, and are not taking any other psychotropic drugs, even those on prescription. The experiment will last no more than 5 years, with the possibility of a 2-year extension, and will be geographically limited to a few communes or groups of communes. The FOPH reserves the unconditional right to revoke any authorization.

Flowers or hashish, oils or even edibles, subject to a limit of 20% THC. Participants will be able to purchase the equivalent of a maximum of 10 grams of pure THC per month, or 50 grams of weed with 20% THC. Distributors, who will sell their products at black market prices, will be subject to quality controls to ensure that products comply with Swiss agricultural standards. They must be pesticide-free, and the distribution chain must be fully documented and traceable. Last but not least, consumption will be prohibited in public spaces and products reserved for personal consumption.