In its decision published on WednesdayExternal link, the St Gallen court said that “fake” marijuana – i.e. cannabis containing less than 1% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – was sold primarily to be smoked, and therefore should be taxed similarly to tobacco.
It thus upheld the decision taken by the Federal Customs Administration in February 2017, which stipulated that such cannabis products be bundled together with fine grain tobacco – taxed at CHF38 ($37.70) per kilo as well as 25% of retail revenue.
The decision had been challenged by a distributor of legal cannabis, who the court said was advertising the flowers on its website in combination with smoking paraphernalia, among other items.
The decision thus rejects the complainant’s appeal but is not final; it can yet be brought before the supreme court, Switzerland’s highest court.
The decision affects only marijuana flowers, i.e. the part of the plant to be smoked, not other legal cannabis-related products.
Low-THC weed has been freely available on the market in Switzerland since 2011, and business has since boomed, with some 130 retailers registered with customs authorities in 2017.
This taxing of legal weed could benefit federal coffers to the tune of CHF30 million a year.
More
More
How legal cannabis is changing Switzerland
This content was published on
What effect is CBD having on the Swiss economy and the legal system?
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
Human remains were found and recovered on Tuesday as part of a search operation in the buried Valais mountain village of Blatten. Formal identification is underway, according to the Valais cantonal police.
Switzerland and the EU sign declaration on transitional arrangements
This content was published on
They set out the terms of cooperation for the period until the desired entry into force of the package of bilateral agreements.
Swiss price watchdog negotiates lower fees for card payments
This content was published on
Small businesses in Switzerland will have to pay fewer fees for cashless payments from customers over the next few years.
Lakes in Central Switzerland have best water quality for bathing
This content was published on
Anyone who swims in a lake in Central Switzerland need have no fear of infection from intestinal bacteria. The water samples taken at 65 bathing sites in 13 lakes all have good to excellent bathing water quality.
This content was published on
Unknown assailants have stolen a historic ring from a Basel museum. The stolen item was a gift from Russian Tsar Alexander I to his host in Basel in 1814.
More May hotel guests in Basel than at any time in past 90 years
This content was published on
Basel hotels recorded 150,854 overnight stays for the Eurovision Song Contest in May. This corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 8.4%.
Demand remains high for rental flats in Switzerland
This content was published on
More rental flats are once again being advertised on property portals in Switzerland. However, demand also remains very high.
One in five Europeans exposed to too much traffic noise
This content was published on
More than one in five Europeans are exposed to unhealthily high levels of traffic noise, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).
New living space through densification often comes at expense of the poor
This content was published on
If demolition and new construction are carried out and tenants have to make way, low-income households are affected more often than average.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
No cannabis for scientific studies, says parliament
This content was published on
The Swiss parliament has rejected a motion to allow the use of cannabis in scientific studies investigating the drug’s effects.
‘In three years, medical cannabis could be sold in Swiss pharmacies’
This content was published on
Tens of thousands of patients in Switzerland regularly use cannabis to relieve pain and discomfort. Most of them do so illegally, however.
‘Swiss marijuana champion’ finds new markets with ‘cannabis light’
This content was published on
There’s decaffeinated coffee, alcohol-free beer, and now marijuana that doesn’t make you high. A producer reveals the hidden side of the market.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.