The draft proposal adopted by the decrease home of parliament’s well being fee, with 14 votes in favour, 9 towards and two abstentions, referred to as for adults to be „accorded a strictly regulated entry to hashish“.
Hashish can at the moment solely be bought legally within the rich Alpine nation for medical use, or for non-medical use when it comprises under one p.c tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the element that will get leisure customers excessive.
Trials have been performed in a number of areas and cities lately testing the regulated sale of hashish for non-medical functions.
However the overwhelming majority of customers get hold of their provides of the drug by means of unlawful channels, the fee identified.
Highlighting a 2022 Swiss survey that discovered that 4 p.c of individuals between the ages of 15 and 64 had illegally consumed hashish within the earlier month, it careworn that „hashish is a societal actuality“.
„Nearly all of the fee believes the present scenario is unsatisfactory and that the prohibitive strategy is a mistake,“ it added.
It referred to as for legalising the sale and use of hashish for non-medical use, emphasising although that this wanted to be strictly regulated as a narcotic substance, with the popularity that consumption may be dangerous to well being.
The proposal marks step one in what may very well be a prolonged course of earlier than an precise regulation is drafted and authorized by each homes of parliament, and sure additionally put to a well-liked vote beneath Switzerland’s direct democratic system.
„The regulation should regulate the cultivation, manufacture and commerce of hashish, with out encouraging its consumption,“ the fee stated.
Commercial
State monopoly plan
The Swiss Hemp Curiosity Group (IG Hanf) hailed it as „a historic second for Swiss hashish coverage“.
However the hard-right Swiss Individuals’s Social gathering (SVP) – Switzerland’s largest get together – condemned the proposal, with parliamentarian Celine Amaudruz vowing to „preserve combating to the top, as a result of this proposal quantities to banalising the risks of the drug“.
Intimately, Friday’s proposal stated that anybody over the age of 18 residing in Switzerland ought to be allowed to „develop, buy, possess and devour hashish“, and that current protections towards the harms of passive smoking ought to apply.
Any sale to minors ought to be unlawful.
Commercial
The regulation ought to permit for people to develop as much as three hashish vegetation for their very own consumption.
Industrial manufacturing can be authorized, however strictly regulated, whereas excessive qualitative requirements would apply, the fee stated, including that every one packaging ought to be impartial with out model names, and will carry warning labels.
The sale of hashish ought to in the meantime be subjected to a state monopoly, with the merchandise solely obtainable for buy at a restricted variety of concession-holding institutions.
Importantly, the fee insisted that there ought to be no revenue motive for the sale, with all proceeds going to prevention, hurt discount and habit help.
And it stated the penalties for promoting or buying hashish illegally ought to be harsher than they’re right now, whereas there ought to be zero tolerance for driving beneath the affect.
