Switzerland: National Council votes in favor of pilot projects

Continuation of the «Switzerland and cannabis distribution pilot projects» series» initiated in 2016. With the National Council voting 100 to 85 in favor of going ahead with the project, the Swiss parliament will soon be able to study the details of a trial for the distribution of cannabis for adult use.

Not a first step towards legalization

«The situation is as follows» a synthesized Alain Berset, the Federal Councillor in charge of the dossier. «More than 200,000 people use cannabis every day in Switzerland; all the indications are that this figure is set to rise, repression is ineffective and the black market is thriving. The current response is therefore unsatisfactory and new avenues must be found, but the law prevents this. Do we want to accept the problem without doing anything, or do we want to think about it?»

The pilot projects currently involve the cities of Basel, Bern, Geneva and Zurich. In each, up to 5,000 current cannabis consumers will be able to legally purchase cannabis for the purposes of the experiment. THC will be limited to 20%, and participants will be able to purchase no more than 10 grams of pure THC per month, or 50g of cannabis at 20% THC. The trial is expected to last no more than 5 years, with a possible 2-year extension.

Alain Berset had to reassure the conservative Swiss right: «This is not a step towards liberalization. The trials are scheduled to run for five years, and the article is valid for ten years, so that a scientific assessment can be made of these experiments. This should provide a solid basis for changing the legislation. This is unfamiliar territory, so caution is called for and strict conditions have been laid down.»

The majority of Swiss cantons and political parties have already declared their support for the principle of pilot projects, and several cities have also expressed interest in conducting such trials. The project must now go back to the National Council's Public Health Commission, which had previously rejected it, which is why the National Council was only able to vote this morning on whether or not to proceed with the project. The Commission will have to rework it before Parliament has a chance to study it article by article.