SWITZERLAND’S largest city Zurich has unveiled details of its adult-use recreational trial which is set to begin in Autumn next year.
Entitled ‘Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility’ the three-and-a-half-year study forms part of the country-wide, adult-use cannabis trial which also includes the cities of Basel, Bern, Lucerne and Geneva.
Switzerland’s adult-use cannabis pilot is designed to help shape any future cannabis legislation at the federal level.
In a joint press release with the Psychiatric University Clinic Zurich and the Zurich Pharmacy Network, the City of Zurich says ‘the study participants will be able to obtain their study cannabis from pharmacies and social clubs’.
Promote Public Health
It goes on to say: “The aim of the Zurich study is to provide relevant knowledge on the best possible use of cannabis. The study is intended to promote public health, maintain public safety and support the protection of minors.”
Zurich says its trial will examine the optimum ways regulated cannabis can be purchased whilst monitoring its effects on the health and consumption behaviour of the consumer.
The press release calls for ‘interested pharmacies and interested parties who would like to found and operate a social club’ to get in touch.
It adds: “At all purchase points, value is placed on personal and health-promoting advice and on responding to individual needs. The aim is always to keep the health risks for consumers as low as possible.”
Guidelines For Businesses
The launch of the pilot project follows changes to the country’s Narcotics Act in May 2021, which mandated pilot tests for regulated cannabis sales.
Cannabis producers providing the study will need a production permit issued by the Federal Office of Public Health.
The release adds: “Only cannabis meeting high quality standards will be distributed, with priority given to organic quality cannabis and locally produced.”
Stevens Senn, CEO, of Pure Holding AG, one of Switzerland’s leading cannabis genome experts, cultivators, processors and distributors welcomed the developments.
Speaking to BusinessCann he said: “The current situation is unsatisfactory: consumption has been stagnating at a high level for years and there is a considerable black market with corresponding risks for consumers.
“A regulated market ensures a clear increase in product safety and quality. Therefore, the successful implementation of the pilot projects and the associated development of a solid data basis on the effects of a regulated cannabis market on individual and public health, consumer behaviour, protection of minors, and public order and safety is enormously important to us.”
Whilst providing opportunities for the business he believes Pure Holding’s extensive experience will benefit the sector as a whole. He continued: “As the market leader of the Swiss cannabis industry, we consider it our responsibility to support politics in this new area.
“Through our many years of experience and our extensive field trials from 2020, we have been able to gain valuable insights with THC and we can therefore provide expertise as advisors.”
He added: “We are proud of Switzerland and its politics for taking this important and progressive approach. Switzerland is becoming a pioneer. Therefore it is enormously important to exploit the potential of this long-forbidden plant.”
During the study different cannabis products will be offered, each with a different THC to CBD content, and the participants will be monitored on a regular basis to gauge their views on its progress.
Possession of less than 10 grams is already permitted in Zurich.
