Cannabis remains by far the most widespread drug enjoyed in Switzerland, even if the value of the market is much lower than that for cocaine. A study published by several groups including Addiction Switzerland estimates the national cannabis market to be worth up to CHF500 million ($516 million). But in canton Vaud, where the study was carried out, the figures show that the total market value was around half that of for cocaine – a finding that Frank Zobel, co-director of Addiction Switzerland, said was a surprise. “We thought that cannabis represented the biggest market in all senses of the word,” he said. “However, the turnover is lower than for cocaine, even if it does remain significantly higher than for other drugs.” (See also: Le marché du cannabis pèse 340 à 500 millions de francs en Suisse)

Parliament has backed a legal change allowing for pilot studies that will distribute cannabis to control groups, in order to find out more about the effects of recreational use. The monitoring studies will be limited in size and duration, and will only include existing cannabis smokers over the age of 18. Interior Minister Alain Berset, who backed the amendment, said that the current situation was “unsatisfactory”. This is particularly the case in bigger cities like Bern, Geneva, Zurich and Basel, who have all expressed an interest in the potential of such trials. One third of the Swiss population has admitted to smoking cannabis at some point, while some 200,000 smoke regularly. But cannabis remains an illegal substance, and there is no oversight of the quality or origin of what’s consumed.

Switzerland's capital is examining a pilot project to allow the sale of cocaine for recreational use - a radical approach to the war on drugs that is not thought to have been tried elsewhere. The municipal council in Bern has supported the idea, which still needs to overcome opposition from the city government and will also require a change in national law. "The war on drugs has failed, and we have to look at new ideas," said Eva Chen, a member of the Bern council from the Alternative Left Party who co-sponsored the proposal. "Control and legalisation can do better than mere repression." (See also: Swiss capital exploring legal cocaine sales)

Switzerland's capital city, Bern, has signalled its intent to conduct a scientific pilot trial of controlled cocaine sales. With 43 votes to 18, the city parliament approved a motion from the Alternative Left to extend trials with cannabis to the future legal sale of cocaine. Despite recognising that cocaine is a harmful drug, Bern politicians believe that supervised sales could lead to better control of the narcotic, reported SRF. Bern's vote is intended to send a signal to the government and to other cities to consider the idea. This cocaine sale proposal was narrowly rejected by the Bern parliament in 2019, but a second version featuring more restrictions gathered enough additional support from the leftwing Social Democratic Party to force the motion through

Parliament has approved a modification to the Swiss narcotics law that will allow studies of recreational cannabis use in the country’s largest cities. Both houses approved the change to the law following debate over whether the cannabis had to be of local or organic origin. The right-wing Swiss People’s Party saw this as an opportunity to support the country’s agriculture sector. Parliament ultimately decided that Swiss and organic cannabis should be used as far as possible. The vote paves the way for scientific studies on the effects of the controlled use of cannabis. This is intended to help evaluate the effects of new regulations on the recreational use of cannabis and ultimately, combat the black market distribution of cannabis.

Swiss drug policy is shifting. Some pharmacies and social clubs in major cities are making cannabis available for recreational purposes under scientific pilot projects. There is even talk of extending such trials to cocaine. The scientific pilot SCRIPT will make cannabis available for sale in pharmacies in the Swiss capital Bern, along with the cities of Lucerne and Biel. The goal is to evaluate what impact a regulated, not-for-profit sale of cannabis coupled with advisory services may have on cannabis consumption. It is one of several pilot trials planned across Switzerland. In June, Bern’s city parliament overwhelmingly approved a motion from the Alternative Left party calling on the city to conduct a scientific pilot trial of controlled cocaine sales.  

The Swiss government wants to empower doctors to prescribe cannabis for medical purposes without authorisation. The Federal Council submitted a revised version of the narcotics law to parliament for deliberation. Cannabis, whether for recreational or medical purposes, has been banned in Switzerland since 1951. However, doctors may prescribe a medicine based on this substance if they get an exceptional green light from the Federal Office of Public Health. But the government believes this process complicates access to treatment, delays the start of therapies and is no longer adequate in view of the growing number of requests.

The Federal Commission for Addiction Issues said that cannabis use in Switzerland had not changed significantly in the past ten years. Despite its popularity, the percentage of problematic users is low, it said. The risks of cannabis are mainly linked to high amounts of THC [active ingredient], early use among teenagers, prolonged use, mixing cannabis and tobacco, and if it is used by people with existing mental problems. The commission recommends Switzerland legalise and regulate the market while protecting the health of its population, especially young people. The government is meanwhile is proposing limited pilot projects. (See also: Top Swiss health commission call for 'legalisation' of cannabis)

In an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, Berset said that his department welcomes trying out "new models and directions" such as controlled cannabis trials, as long as the necessary special permits are sought. When asked whether such trials would open a back door for legalisation of the substance, Berset answered with a clear "no". "The Swiss people voted down a legalisation initiative in 2008, but they also accepted the new drug law, which allows for special permits for medical treatments or research projects." (See also: Kann die Cannabisabgabe funktionieren?)

The Swiss Council of States has adopted a bill allowing studies and pilot projects with cannabis. The Council is calling for an experimental article in the Narcotics Act that allows for scientific research projects such as coffeeshop model trials or pilot programs. Five cities have requested such studies. The bill will now be presented to the National Council. Until now, these applications have been rejected because there was no legal basis for such exceptions in the Swiss Narcotics Act. Between 200,000 and 300,000 people in Switzerland regularly consume cannabis. In most cantons, the possession of up to 10 grams is not punishedand public consumption is atoned for with a fine of 100 Swiss francs. (See also: Could medical cannabis be the next cash cow for Swiss farmers?)

The number of fines related to cannabis dropped from 18,000 in 2017 to barely more than 7,000 last year. French-speaking cantons and Zurich especially took a more lenient approach towards cannabis smokers with 70% fewer fines imposed. The reason for this massive decline is a 2017 Federal Court decision that ruled that "the mere possession of small quantities of drugs for consumption purposes" should not be punished. Even though consumption is still a punishable offence, the court’s decision has led to a change in police practice. The Association of Swiss Police Officers called for a greater say in cannabis policy.

Since 2011, the sale of cannabis products containing up to one percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the ingredient that makes users high – has been legal in Switzerland. These legal products won’t make you stoned but have proven hugely popular, especially in recent years. Tax revenues from legal cannabis as a tobacco alternative hit 15.1 million francs (€13.5 million) last year, up from just 400,000 three years earlier, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) told Swiss weekly SonntagsZeitung. Most smokers of the products are young, a survey from Addiction Switzerland suggests. Respondents touted the benefits of their active component cannabidiol (CBD), saying it helped with sleep problems and stress, while promoting well-being.

The Swiss government aims to make it easier for patients to get medical marijuana, proposing to allow prescriptions for cannabis to treat people suffering from cancer or other serious conditions. The proposal, separate from a Swiss government push to allow some cities to experiment with recreational marijuana, would replace the current system, in which those seeking medical cannabis must apply for an exception from the Federal Health Office to get what is otherwise an illegal drug. Marijuana is sometimes used to help cancer patients manage chronic pain, to help boost their appetites, and to reduce spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. "The proposal makes it possible for doctors to directly prescribe cannabis as part of their treatment," the Swiss cabinet said in a statement.

Switzerland’s National Council has approved a plan to start cannabis trials for recreational use. If it is to be legalised however, the government says it must be organic and grown locally. The study, which was approved by the National Council on Tuesday, hopes to find out more about the effects that a controlled legalisation of the drug would have in Switzerland. The decision to embark upon the trial was to be made in March but was delated due to the coronavirus pandemic. The experiments are to be carried out in Switzerland’s larger cities. Basel, Bern, Biel, Geneva and Zurich have all expressed interest in conducting the trials. (See also: Le National favorable aux tests de distribution de cannabis bio)

The lower house of Switzerland’s Federal Assembly approved a bill paving the way for a pilot research program that would permit the temporary production and distribution of cannabis to adults for recreational purposes. While an important milestone, the vote in early June is also symbolic of the sluggish pace at which recreational legalization is occurring in Europe. While approving the project, a majority of National Council legislators rejected proposals that would have limited the experiment’s size and scope – a sign that the lower house is committed to moving forward with the project. Now the Council of States will debate and vote on the bill. Local experts expect the project to be approved.

In September 2020, the Swiss parliament adopted a modification to the Federal Act on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances. The change provides a legal framework for a pilot project that would see legal and government-controlled supply initiatives established in 2021. The projects are expected to provide data on the use of cannabis by the Swiss and contribute to substantiating any potential future regulations. A few days after its passing, a complimentary parliamentary initiative was submitted by a member of the National Council (the lower house of the Swiss legislature). The initiative aims to flesh out a political response to the regulation of cannabis, proposing standards similar to those in place for alcohol.

Switzerland will start adult-use cannabis sales this summer amid a trial program that will involve 400 people. Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) authorized on April 19 the first pilot on the sale of cannabis for recreational use. The initiative is a joint project with the University of Basel and will take place in Basel, Switzerland's third-most-populous city. The study on the legal sale of adult-use cannabis aims to provide information to regulate cannabis in the whole country. In particular, the pilot is intended to provide information to consumers about low-risk consumption, knowledge on the effects of controlled access to cannabis, and information on consumers' behavior and physical and mental health.

Switzerland will draw up a draft law for the legalisation of cannabis usage, after a parliamentary commission ruled the drug should no longer be banned. The production, cultivation, trade and consumption of cannabis will no longer be banned after a commission investigating the drug said the laws should be changed, Swiss news outlet Blick reported on Tuesday. The Social Security and Health Commission of the Council of States (SGK-S) said cannabis should be regulated in order to control the “cannabis market for better youth and consumer protection”. The aim of the SGK-S is to eliminate the black market for the drug in Switzerland. A draft law will now be drawn up in Swiss parliament.

El primer proyecto suizo sobre la venta legal de cannabis en farmacias comenzará el 15 de septiembre en el cantón de Basilea Ciudad. El número de participantes se limita a 370 y los usuarios de cáñamo mayores de 18 años pueden registrarse para tomar parte. Seis productos cannabinoides, cuatro tipos de flores de cannabis y dos tipos de hachís, se venderán en nueve farmacias. Los precios rondarán los que se cobran en el mercado negro de productos con contenido de THC. Por lo tanto, un gramo costará entre 8 y 12 francos. La medida, que se integra en proyecto de la Universidad de Basilea, sus clínicas psiquiátricas y el departamento de salud cantonal, fue aprobada en abril por la Oficina Federal de Salud Pública (OFSP).

In the Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2002 that was released on February 26, the president of the Board, Dr. Philip O. Emafo from Nigeria, launches a strong attack against groups that advocate legalisation or decriminalisation of drug offences, as well as groups "that favour a crusade" focusing only on harm reduction. Mr. Emafo's attack reflects how out of touch the president of the INCB is with current developments in inter­national drug control. If anyone is involved in a "crusade' with "missionary zeal', it is Mr. Emafo himself, trying to turn back accepted best practices in countering the adverse effects of problematic drug use. Mr. Emafo gives a completely distorted picture of the political acceptance of the harm reduction concept.

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