Zurich cannabis study receives positive assessment
After grappling with the issue for years, Switzerland has decided to investigate the impact of decriminalising recreational cannabis. In 2020 parliament backed a legal change allowing for studies to provide scientific information for future decisions on cannabis regulation.
Keystone / Gaetan Bally
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Listening: Zurich cannabis study receives positive assessment
Health officials in the city of Zurich have given a positive assessment of a controlled study into the recreational use of cannabis, one year after it was launched.
“Our approach places the health of cannabis users at the centre and shows that modern prevention work can go hand in hand with controlled access to cannabis products,” declared Andreas Hauri, a member of the city government in charge of public health, in a press release issued on Thursday by the city of Zurich, the University of Zurich and the University Psychiatric Clinic Zurich.
Around 2,100 people have taken part in the pilot project approved by the Swiss federal authorities. Of these, 150 people have stopped participating. Over half of participants consume cannabis at least four times a week.
Over a 12-month period, a total of 300kg of cannabis products were sold to participants in Zurich in 21 pharmacies, social clubs and drug information centres in the city under the pilot scheme. A total of 36,000 sales of hashish and dried cannabis flowers were recorded.
The pilot project is scheduled to run until October 2026. A number of similar recreational cannabis studies are underway in several Swiss cities and cantons.
Translated from French by DeepL/sb
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