Switzerland: National Council says no to cannabis legalization pilot projects

After a first refusal of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) in the current state of the law, rejected by the Swiss Council of States, then a National Council committee vote in favor of a change in the law, the Swiss National Council, the equivalent of our National Assembly, refused last week by 96 votes to 93 (with 2 abstentions) the motion that would have allowed the introduction of cannabis legalization pilot projects in selected Swiss cities.

All is not completely buried, however: other motions along the same lines are due to be put to the vote, as reported in Le Temps.

A number of Swiss cities recently rallied to the cause of explore new avenues for cannabis. Basel, Zurich and Bern, among others, wanted to experiment with the legalization of cannabis in their municipalities, in order to study the effects of regulating cannabis distribution and consumption on trafficking and public health.

The Swiss law on narcotics (LStup) authorizes, on an exceptional basis, the production, trade and consumption of hemp for scientific research projects or medical applications. The National Council had initially considered that the legalization pilot projects were intended solely for recreational use, and went beyond the scope of the current legal framework, hence the need to change the law in the first place.

The next voting sessions have not yet been scheduled, but are unlikely to arrive before September, due to the summer break.