Cannabis study starts – 180 people from Basel smoke weed legally from today – News


contents

For a trial, nine Basel pharmacies are selling cannabis. The pilot study will be expanded in six months.

Organic cannabis instead of black market herbs and no longer afraid of the police: the Basel pilot study gives the participants a more relaxed life. Nine Basel pharmacies have become officially licensed dealers. For the time being, around 180 smokers can buy cannabis there with an ID card for this study and their ID.

Six varieties – limited quantities


open box
close the box

As part of the study in the canton of Basel-Stadt, six different types of cannabis are offered, which differ according to their content of the intoxicating substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These are two hashish and four cannabis flower products from the Swiss manufacturer Pure Production. Accordingly, the prices are graded from 40 to 55 francs per five-gram pack. The study participants may buy a maximum of two packs at a time and 10 grams of pure THC per month. For the study, consumption is only permitted at home and distribution is prohibited.

In six months, almost 200 more cannabis users will join them. This delay is intended to enable a scientific comparison of health and consumer behavior between those participants who smoke weed in a controlled manner and those who continue to obtain supplies on the black market.

Smoking weed for relaxation

When he used to buy cannabis from colleagues, he never knew whether it was moldy or contained germs, says Daniel, one of the participants – he doesn’t want to give his real name publicly. The study therefore gives him more security.

Legend:

Cannabis cigarettes are rolled by hand.

Keystone / Christian Beutler

According to his own statements, the 30-year-old had previously tried other drugs; he only stayed with smoking weed. He smokes when he comes home stressed. “Then I smoke a joint and that brings me down. It just relaxes me – that’s probably why I do it.”

I smoke a joint and it gets me down.

560 smokers expressed an interest in taking part, but the attempt is limited to 374 canton residents. Only adults who already consume cannabis regularly are permitted; this is also checked by means of urine tests. In addition, you had to pass medical examinations, and your mental state also had to be right: Among other things, Daniel remembers being asked about suicidal thoughts. This makes sense because intoxication can intensify moods.

Cannabis Products

Legend:

These six cannabis products are on sale in the Basel study.

zvg / DG BS

The Basel cannabis study is scheduled to last two and a half years. The participants are asked every two months how they are doing – if you don’t answer, you’re kicked out. According to information from the canton, 302 men, 66 women and six non-binary people between the ages of 18 and 76 are taking part. The average age is 36 years.

Plants initially did not meet the organic specifications

Because cannabis is banned in Switzerland, the go-ahead from the federal government was necessary for the experiment in Basel. Actually, this study should have started in mid-September 2022, but then unwanted ingredients caused a delay: due to soil contamination, the first plants harvested did not meet the organic specifications.

Legal – illegal – international – experimental


open box
close the box

“The consumption of cannabis is widespread in the Swiss population”: The Federal Council holds in one Drug Policy Report 2021 found that 220,000 people used it regularly. However, weed is prosecuted; A good half of the violations of the Narcotics Act (BetmG) in 2019 related to cannabis consumption. Every year, 119 million francs are spent across Switzerland on the police, judiciary and penal system in relation to cannabis. And the cantons proceeded very differently when it came to enforcement.

The Federal Council quotes an addiction expert commission (EKSF) as saying that the narcotics ban causes considerable collateral damage to health and security policy. He himself writes of an “unsatisfactory situation in the field of cannabis” and refers to legalization efforts in various countries around the world. 12 US states that have allowed recreational consumption since 2012 have brought “a new dynamic in drug policy”; later Uruguay and Canada followed.

The Federal Council considers the “public health” model of dealing with cannabis practiced in Canada, which focuses on health and youth protection, to be of interest to Switzerland. Another goal of this model is the “relief of the prison system”.

A revision of the Swiss BetmG from May 2021 has scientific pilot tests made possible for cannabis delivery under strict conditions. However, the corresponding “experimental article” is limited to ten years.

The health department of Basel-Stadt, the University Psychiatric Clinics of Basel, the Psychiatric Services of Aargau and the University of Basel are involved in this study, which is the first to be approved nationwide. It is intended to provide scientific findings as a basis for discussion for a future responsible cannabis policy in Switzerland.

Map

Legend:

Cannabis studies are in the pipeline in half of the cantons.

SRF

According to SRF research, 13 other studies in other cantons have submitted an application to the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG). Their approaches differ, for example when selling through a special association, in pharmacies or online. Some of the studies also have to be approved by an ethics committee.

We are definitely pioneers again.

This Swiss research is followed with international interest, says Adrian Gschwend from the FOPH: “We are definitely pioneers again.” He is reminiscent of the pioneering role in heroin, where there is practically no open scene in this country.

source site-72