Geneva opens its first legal cannabis shop
Switzerland, a pioneer in cannabis. Indeed, our neighbors in the Swiss Confederation have confirmed the opening, last December, of their very first cannabis dispensary. A store where authorized persons will be able to buy cannabis rich in THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The announcement is intended above all to validate the pilot project for experimenting with the prevention and regulation of cannabis consumption in the region.
All you need to know about cannabis legalization in Switzerland
The political angle
Not everyone will be able to buy and consume cannabis
Other Swiss cantons follow suit
Can the Swiss example be applied in France?
Everything you need to know about the legalization of cannabis in Switzerland
Is cannabis officially legal in Switzerland? Not quite. Last December, legislators in the canton of Geneva agreed to open the very first dispensary to sell cannabis-based products. Consumers will be free to purchase these products.
This boutique, called the Cannabinothèque, opened its doors on December 11 in the Châtelaine district of Vernier. A small community located just a few minutes from the city of Geneva. And it's a big first, the results of which will eventually lead to the legalization of cannabis in Switzerland.
Policy of repression not as successful as hoped
For Pierre Mauder, Minister of Health for the Canton of Geneva, the decisions taken in recent years have not had the desired success. On the contrary, even when new measures were taken to encourage individuals to limit their cannabis consumption, the statistics showed no effectiveness.
"It's about regulating drug consumption. Here in the canton of Geneva, the use of so-called soft drugs is no longer even punishable under criminal law, but without going as far as legally recognized liberalization. The idea is to regulate by creating state-supervised market conditions and, if possible, 'break the back' of the mafias from a financial point of view, as they generate a highly criminal dimension", he explained.
The political angle
We have chosen to offer only local products for sale. The Flowers and hash products available for purchase all come from Switzerland. Most of these products are grown in greenhouses. This is the ministry's way of guaranteeing the origin and control of the products, which will also be organic and natural. It's also a way of encouraging people to opt for the legal route, rather than the black market.
Not everyone will be able to buy and use cannabis
At this stage of the experiment, not everyone will be able to visit the Cannabinothèque to purchase Flowers, hash or oils. 400 licenses were dispensed, while 1,400 people volunteered to take part in this vast study.
Only people wishing to opt for recreational consumption were thus retained. "We have excluded people with problematic consumption, medical consumption, minors and new consumers," confirms Martin Staub, administrative councillor for the commune of Vernier.
These 400 people will have to respond at regular intervals to requests from politicians and scientists, through interviews and questionnaires concerning their consumption habits. Once the first results have been obtained, and if the experimentation is entirely satisfactory, the trial could be extended to 1,000 people.
Other Swiss cantons follow suit
In addition to Vernier, another windmill has been authorized to open its doors in Allschwill, in the canton of Basel-Landschaft. For the occasion, several thousand people will have access to cannabis, albeit for purely medical purposes. Nothing to do with recreational consumption. Local residents will be able to buy Flowers, hashish, edibles (edible products) and e-liquids.
This store, which will soon be joined by the opening of a second dispensary in Liestal, will also serve as an open-air study center. Over a period of 5 years, the effects of this policy of apparently opening up cannabis consumption to the public will be studied, particularly in terms of safety and public order. This will also enable us to better understand the needs of sufferers.
Swiss cannabis in the spotlight again
And once again, the spotlight will be on Swiss cannabis. The canton of Basel has decided to work jointly with the company SwissExtract. A very exciting project for Stefan Strasser, the group's CEO, for whom this collaboration should benefit everyone: his company, consumers, politicians and finally, the next decisions that will be taken. "Our aim is to provide high-quality, reliable products based on sound scientific research. Our focus is on organic quality, Swissness and transparency", he explained. Will this be enough to convince the federal authorities?
Can the Swiss example be applied in France?
Can we imagine Swiss decisions and laws being deployed in France? For the moment, the answer is no. Indeed, medical cannabis is not really authorized, even though the government has taken several decisions that could lead to its widespread use in the months or years to come. As for the opening of dispensaries, the country seems to be lagging behind on these issues, with a policy of repression rather than listening and support.
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