Tag: Domestic Policy

Partial decriminalization: a regulatory jungle

24.08.2023 Timon Burckhardt

The last few weeks, a new ruling by the Federal Court has been the talk of the town. The highest court ruled that an unpunished amount of cannabis (<10g and exclusively for personal consumption) cannot be seized by the police. This is another step towards the decriminalization of cannabis. In principle, less criminalization of consumers […]

Altstadtgasse in der Stadt Bern

SCRIPT: Pilot test in Bern, Biel & Lucerne

01.06.2023 Timon Burckhardt

In May 2023, the University of Bern’s cannabis pilot project was approved by the Federal Office of Public Health and the cantonal ethics committees concerned. Under the name “SCRIPT – The Safer Cannabis Research In Pharmacies randomized controlled Trial”, the health and social effects of regulated cannabis sales will be investigated in the cities of […]

THC limit of 1% soon also applies to CBD cannabis resin

29.03.2022 Timon Burckhardt

It pays to keep at it. After interventions of the hemp industry, the Federal Council holds that also cannabis resin (pollinate) is regulated with the 1% limit. Cannabis resin containing less than one percent THC thus becomes a marketable product. The amendment is expected to take effect in the summer of 2022. How it came […]

Is the legalization of THC now coming?

29.10.2021 Timon Burckhardt

There has been a lot happening in the cannabis legalization space in recent weeks. Legalization suddenly seems quite a bit more tangible – both in Switzerland and in Germany. What just happened, and what does it mean now? In Switzerland, cannabis policy took a big step forward in the Health Committee of the Council of […]

Population survey on cannabis regulation

08.09.2021 Timon Burckhardt

At the beginning of July 2021, the FOPH published the results of a population survey on cannabis at a media briefing. The aim of the survey conducted by Sotomo was to know the attitudes of the voting population at the time of the launch of the pilot tests . Does the chosen path meet with […]

Regulatory chaos in the cannabis industry

01.09.2021 Timon Burckhardt

Anyone wishing to enter the trade and production of cannabis products in Switzerland must first take an in-depth look at the applicable legal basis. This is a very laborious exercise, as one is faced with a large and confusing collection of laws that affect and regulate various aspects of economic activity in different cases. When […]

Postulate Minder for more legal certainty

22.06.2021 Timon Burckhardt

Following a meeting with IG Hemp, Council of States member Thomas Minder (no party affiliation, SVP parliamentary group) submitted a postulate in March calling for a report from the Federal Council outlining how various aspects of the hemp plant can be economically exploited. On the basis of these findings, it will be explained how they […]

Change in the law with regard to cannabis medicines

18.06.2021 Timon Burckhardt

After the Council of States unanimously approved a bill to amend the Narcotics Act (BetmG) with regard to cannabis medicines at the beginning of March, the bill passed through the National Council relatively uncontested. This amendment is intended to finally facilitate access to cannabis medicines. Until now, physicians had to obtain a special permit from […]

Federal Council approves cannabis pilot projects

17.05.2021 Timon Burckhardt

On March 31, 2021, it became clear that pilot cannabis dispensaries could be approved by the FOPH starting in mid-May. Following the National Council and the Council of States, the Federal Council also approved this amendment to the Narcotics Act, which is intended to provide new insights into health and consumption patterns in the context […]

Legal cultivation and simplified dispensing of cannabis medicinal products

31.03.2021 Addrich Mauch

In the final vote of the spring session 2021, the National Council and the Council of States approved business 20.060 of an amendment to the Narcotics Act. This provides that the cultivation and medical prescription of medicinal hemp may be prescribed in the future without an exemption permit from the Federal Office of Public Health […]