Swiss city draws positive results after three years of controlled cannabis sales

Besides Basel, several other Swiss cities are piloting the controlled sale of cannabis, including Lausanne, Geneva, Zurich, Bern, Biel and Lucerne. Keystone-SDA

Authorities in the city of Basel have drawn a positive interim conclusion following three years of regulated cannabis sales in the city on the Rhine.

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Thanks to the Weed Care pilot project, the inhalation of smoke from joints containing tobacco has fallen significantly, the cantonal health department said on Thursday. Health risks have been reduced and consumption has not increased.

The introduction last autumn of non-smoked cannabis products – namely vaporisers and oils – into the controlled sales scheme has been a success: they now account for nearly a fifth of consumption, without total consumption having increased, the health department added.

The review of the past year also confirms the observations made a year ago regarding users’ mental health. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and psychosis have decreased. The same applies to the consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive substances among participants in the Basel pilot project, which was launched in January 2023 and extended until January 2027.

+ Basel cannabis study reports improvements in smokers’ mental health

Legalisation a genuine need

These positive interim results highlight the need to regulate the sale and consumption of cannabis through legislation, said Regine Steinauer, head of addiction services at the Basel-City Health Department.

The Weed Care study on the regulated sale of cannabis in pharmacies is being conducted by the University of Basel, the University Psychiatric Clinics of Basel, the Psychiatric Services of Aargau and the Basel Department of Health. It currently involves 265 participants, compared to 378 who took part in 2023.

A final assessment will be carried out in 2027. Other studies of this kind are underway in several cities and cantons: Lausanne, Geneva, Zurich, Bern, Biel and Lucerne.

Translated from French with AI/gw

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