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The Federal Council wants to allow pilot trials of cannabis. He wants to supplement the Narcotic Control Act with a special article.
The use of cannabis has been banned in Switzerland since 1951 and punishable by law. But despite the repression, the number of consumers and consumers does not return, said Wednesday the Minister of Health Alain Berset in front of the media. About three percent of the population or 200,000 people smoked at least one joint per month
At the same time, the black market is flourishing. Consumer safety was no longer guaranteed as quality controls were lacking. As a result, several cities and cantons have wanted to conduct scientific studies with regulated harvesting and examine the effects on consumption and consumers.
The OFSP however rejected the applications on the grounds that there was no legal basis for doing so. The Federal Council wants to remove this obstacle with the new article of the law on narcotics. The consultation lasts until October 25th.
The project aims to enable a "structured debate on the use of cannabis," said Berset. Because the fronts in parliament are hardened: only with the votes of SVP and CVP at the summer session, the National Council narrowly refused an article of cannabis experiment previously approved by the Council of States
5'000 persons per pilot
Pilot tests may be carried out for a maximum of five years and only for scientific purposes. They should provide information on the effects of drugs on consumer health, consumer behavior, the drug market, the protection of minors and public safety.
Trials must be limited to one or more municipalities. exceed and minors are excluded. Participants can only be those who have already used cannabis and reside in the appropriate community.
Participants can purchase only five grams of pure THC per month and a total of ten grams of pure THC per month for authorized use and for personal use only. At a THC content of 15 percent, this corresponds to a quantity of 66 grams of commercially available cannabis.
The price should take into account the active ingredient content and the "local black market price". This is currently 10 to 15 francs per gram
"High quality"
Even cannabis products sold must be strictly regulated: their THC content must not exceed 20%, and impurities and pesticides have a "high quality"
The municipalities and cities concerned must submit an application to the FOPH. If the conditions are fulfilled and after consulting the cantons concerned, the FOPH can grant the permit. The article is limited to ten years and does not change the general ban on cannabis use, writes the BAG.
Facilitating access to medicinal cannabis
At the same time, the Federal Council wants to facilitate access to medicinal cannabis for patients. In Switzerland, about 3,000 patients – often elderly people with chronic pain and incurable diseases such as multiple sclerosis or terminal cancer – were treated last year.
Cannabis can cause pain, nausea, cramps, or lightheadedness Relieving affected people, if not any medication, said Berset. But the approval process is tedious and delays the start of treatment. For today, patients must obtain an exemption from the BAG.
The Federal Council has therefore instructed the Federal Department of the Interior (DFI) to amend the legislation. In addition, the ban on marketing medicinal cannabis should be lifted. An exemption would not be necessary in the future. A consultation project is expected to be available in the summer of 2019.
In addition, the BAG should review any reimbursement by health insurance. The medical and therapeutic potential has been known for several years, Berset said. But scientifically, the effect of cannabis is still insufficiently proven. Clinical studies were missing, which would be a condition for cost support.
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