Swiss cannabis studies get the green light
The debate around the tests goes back to 2017, when the University of Bern applied to begin such a study
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
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.
