Swiss cities test controlled cannabis distribution

Cannabis sativa, grown in Switzerland for scientific studies. © Keystone / Christian Beutler

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. 

That is welcome news for those who use cannabis for pleasure or to self-medicate. “As a conscious consumer, I want to be able to decide what kind of cannabis to use,” says E.S, a 40-year-old woman who has been using the substance since her teens, primarily to numb menstrual pain or to relax after a day of work. “Like a wine enthusiast, I want to discover the many varieties without depending on the black market.” 

She is among 1,091 people in Switzerland who have signed up to participate in the scientific pilot SCRIPT.External link The programme 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.  

It took over ten years for the SCRIPT project to take off due to political and legal wrangling. The green light came in 2021, when the Federal Act on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances was amended by a regulation permitting their use in scientific studiesExternal link. 

Reducing health and social risks 

Professor Reto Auer, a doctor and researcher at the University of Bern, is coordinating the project team. This, he explains, is a randomised controlled trial (RCT), namely research in which the results of two comparable groups are contrasted. “The control group consists of people who will continue to obtain cannabis by buying it on the black market,” he explains.  

Professor Reto Auer, coordinator of the SCRIPT trial. Contrastart.ch

The other group, meanwhile, will be able to buy cannabis in pharmacies. Cannabis will be offered in the form of dried flowers (“grass”), resin (“hashish”), liquid for e-cigarettes or oil – all produced in Switzerland in accordance with organic farming regulations. E.S, who didn’t want to give her full name, is particularly concerned about the quality.  

“It has become increasingly difficult to find ‘outdoor’ weed, that is, from plants grown in the open air,” she says. “Due to a prohibitionist policy, which I consider pointless, you must take what you find. These are often substances that are of poor quality, were grown intensively and are too strong.” 

The main goal of SCRIPT is harm reduction, Auer stresses. “Cannabis users smoke it mixed with tobacco. And this, beyond the effects of the substance on the brain and psyche, represents the greatest danger to their health,” he says.  The study includes a strong counselling component. In the pharmacies, the participants will receive information and advice on alternative ways of taking cannabis.  

The trial, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, is expected to collect a large amount of data thanks to laboratory tests and questionnaires completed by the participants. “We want to get information on the social aspects of consumption – because, ultimately, the question of what place drugs should have in society is one of ethics rather than science,” Auer says. 

Innovative Swiss cities  

In the space of a few months, similar projects have been launched in several Swiss cities. In the northwestern city of Basel, distribution began in January and will continue until mid-2025. In financial hub Zurich, the “Zuri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility” project starts in August. This trial will compare three supply points: pharmacies, social clubs and drug counselling services. In Geneva, a pilot project run by the association ChanGEExternal link will test the model of “cannabinotheque”, a venue providing regulated cannabis access to members for personal use.  

Safely sourced: the primary goal of cannabis distribution in Swiss cities is “harm reduction”. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

The French-speaking city of Lausanne also has its pilot trial, Cann-LExternal link. The aim is to assess the “feasibility and impact of the sale of cannabis on a non-profit basis.” The foundation Addiction Switzerland is a partner in the project. Its deputy director, Frank Zobel, calls for a pragmatic approach on the issue.  

“Regulation of cannabis is coming – there is a real wave in many countries around the world,” he says. “Some places, like California and Colorado, have chosen a commercial model. We believe, however, that this model, which is the one used for tobacco and alcohol, could prove dangerous. We think that a scheme where no one makes a profit is more appropriate, where those running it can decide what products to offer and train the sales staff properly. We’ve opted for ideas that put the protection of public health at the centre.” 

Franz Zobel, deputy director of the Addiction Switzerland group. All Right Reserved © Wavre.ch

The global wave and the Swiss case 

The list of countries that have decided to regulate cannabis consumption is steadily growing. Uruguay was the pioneer in greenlighting cannabis for recreational purposes, followed by Canada and 23 American states. In 2022, Thailand, whose drug legislation has always been among the strictest on the planet, removed it from its banned narcotics list. 

In Europe, the first country to decriminalise its consumption was Portugal, although in recent years Malta has stood out. Like Spain, it has adopted the “Cannabis Social Club” model of meeting places for members only. Each club must also grow its own marijuana, according to the requirements laid down by the Maltese government. Assessment procedures and pilot projects are also underway in many other European countries, such as LuxembourExternal linkgExternal link and the Czech Republic. Germany recently went so far as to legalise the possession of up to 25 grammes per personExternal link. 

In 2022, Thailand removed cannabis from the official list of narcotic substances. Keystone / Narong Sangnak

Under Swiss law today, only hemp with less than 1% tetrahydrocanabinol (THC) – the main psychoactive constituent – may be sold or purchased. But anyone found in possession of less than 10 grammes of hashish or weed is only liable to a CHF100 ($112) fine. A legislative vacuum in the early 2000s led to an explosion of hemp production, including extensive plantations in several cantons, and dedicated shops selling hemp seedlings and cannabis sachets ready for consumption even sprung up in some Swiss cities. 

A lot has changed since then, including at the judicial level. In 2019, the Federal External linkCourt passed a landmark ruling that people with drug dependencies can be considered ill and can therefore access disability insurance benefits. The Swiss people last voted on cannabis in 2008, when an initiative to decriminalise consumption was rejected with 63% of the votes.   

It’s 1981, and US President Richard Nixon is announcing the “war on drugs”. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Public opinion has also shifted. In a survey by the Federal Office of Public Health in 2021, two-thirds of the respondents were in favour of legalisation, albeit accompanied by preventive measures. 

Now up to the politicians 

Over the years, dozens of parliamentary motions have been submitted on the issue. Today, the question is going through a crucial stage with the deliberations of the “hemp regulation” sub-committeeExternal link. This group of members of the House of Representatives is working to turn into law the initiative ”On regulating the cannabis market to better protect young people and consumersExternal link”, which was tabled by parliamentarian Heinz Siegenthaler of the Centre party and approved by both houses.  

In 2021 the Swiss government itself concluded, in its Perspectives on dug policy up to 2030External link, that “the social and health costs of substance use are highest with strict prohibition”. So the executive is also reflecting on the need to regulate the issue. With these stances, the Swiss Federal Council and parliament are once more falling into line with a global trend of legalisation.  

Controlled distribution of cocaine 

In early June, Bern’s city parliament went even further. It overwhelmingly approved a motion from the Alternative Left partyExternal link calling on the city to conduct a scientific pilot trial of controlled cocaine sales.  

According to the party, current policy leads to a clampdown on “small fry” – that is, the people who use it and those who sell it to them – while large-scale traffickers get off scot-free. Bern’s decision is intended to send a signal to the government and to other cities to consider the idea. 

Zobel, of Addiction Switzerland, is also concerned about the need to manage the cocaine market. Swiss cities are among those on the continent where consumption is highestExternal link. “A lot of it circulates throughout Europe. The costs are low, the purity is high: it’s a thriving market. And there are people who consume a lot of it.” 

The idea of regulating cocaine, as suggested by the Bern city parliament, merits consideration in his view. “Our position is that it is an excellent question, to which we do not yet have an answer,” says Zobel. “There definitely is a problem and something has to be done. We must think it through carefully, as we did with the heroin question many years ago.” 

Translated from Italian by Julia Bassam/ds