Cannabis legalisation in Switzerland is on the move as plans are announced to introduce a bill that would reform the country’s drug policy after two parliamentary commissions recommend that cannabis should no longer be banned.
According to Blick, both members of the National Council and MPs from the Social Security and Health Commission of the Council of States have spoken out in favour of legalising recreational and medical cannabis use in Switzerland.
The proposed reforms would allow the production, cultivation, trade and consumption of cannabis.
The decision was made with nine to two votes, as the parliamentary services announced on Tuesday.
Forty members across all political groups of the National Council are among the co-signatories of the initiative.
Bernese Central Councillor Heinz Siegenthaler said the aim is to dry up the black market and protect the consumers and the youth.
The plan is to establish clear rules on taxation, advertising and cultivation of cannabis for personal use.
It comes after under a new trial, Zürich will allow its citizens to buy cannabis products from pharmacies and cannabis social clubs following a parliamentary-approved change to the country’s drug policy.
The aim of the “Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility” pilot project is to analyse the impact of regulated cannabis use in a three-and-a-half-year long study, which could provide the basis for appropriate cannabis legislation at the federal level.
The trial is set to begin in Autumn, 2022.
While recreational cannabis is illegal in Switzerland, the country has one of the most liberal approaches to the drug in Europe.
For hemp cultivation, cannabis plants with a concentration of 1% THC are permitted. Furthermore, the possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use was decriminalised in 2012.
