Switzerland: 2 new cities for the cannabis regulation pilot project

The cities of Biel and Lucerne will join the pilot project to regulate cannabis in Switzerland.

Biel has allocated 35,000 Swiss francs to launch the project. Among other things, the funds will be used to explore the possibility of selling cannabis in pharmacies to young adults. The number of participants in the study will be limited, and those who apply for the program must be of legal age and reside in Biel.

In Lucerne, users will be limited to purchasing 24 grams of cannabis per month for personal use in a private setting.

Overall, the Swiss pilot project aims to reduce the risks associated with the use of cannabis obtained on the black market, the quality of which varies depending on the growers and sellers.

Several cities in Switzerland wish to participate in this project: Geneva, Bern, Basel, and Zurich. In Basel, the 150 adults who would participate in the study must use cannabis for medical reasons. In Geneva, Biel, and Zurich, on the other hand, the goal is to establish regulated associations, similar to the Spanish Cannabis Clubs.

The project has been underway since early 2016. The cities are now awaiting the green light from the Federal Office of Public Health. The pilot project will be funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (720,000 francs), the city and the University of Bern (100,000 francs each), and by Parliament, which must approve a grant of 140,000 francs.

More than one in three Swiss people over the age of 15 have smoked cannabis, and more than 220,000 people use it regularly. According to the latest surveys, Two-thirds of the Swiss population is in favor of legalizing cannabis.