Swiss legislators have given preliminary approval to a plan that would legalize and regulate adult access to marijuana in Switzerland, prohibiting for-profit sales while also taxing products bearing cannabis’s trademarked leaf logo.
On Friday, the Social Security and Health Committee of Switzerland’s National Council, an organ of parliament, approved this draft law with an overwhelming 14-9 majority.
“Cultivation, production, trade, and consumption of cannabis for nonmedical use are currently illegal,” according to a translated press release by the panel. A majority of the Commission feels unsatisfied by this situation and holds prohibitive approaches as being flawed; according to them regulated cannabis access provides greater public health protection, youth protection strengthening measures as well as increasing overall security.”
“Within this approach, consumers could more effectively be reached with prevention messages and directed toward less harmful forms of consumption,” according to a release by Health Canada. This way, populations could be better protected from negative side-effects of cannabis use; adolescents could be kept out; the illegal market should also be reduced.”
While the committee believed marijuana remains harmful to human health, they also proposed modifications to national law which would enable adults to cultivate, purchase, possess, and consume cannabis legally.
CSSS-N: Regulation Globale du Cannabis https://t.co/FeyrBVoSyN for Parl CH (@ParlCH). February 14 2025.
Under this proposal, adults could grow up to three flowering cannabis plants for personal consumption.
Although this plan would allow government-licensed growers and manufacturers to engage in for-profit commercial cultivation, retail sales would remain state monopoly with any profits reinvested into prevention, damage reduction and addiction help initiatives according to commission press releases.
Under these new proposals, sales to minors would be prohibited and products would need to be “packaged neutrally, without brand elements, with warning labels and package inserts and childproof.” Retailers might offer non-smokable alternatives and low THC products in an attempt to mitigate risks associated with consumption.
Under the proposal, advertising of cannabis products such as seeds, cuttings and paraphernalia would also be restricted and illegal cannabis activity “punished more severely than ever before,” as per a press release from the government.
Committee approval marks an initial stage in the legislative process. “The next step will be an explanatory report on the preliminary draft so that [the commission can review these documents] this summer,” according to the commission, noting that interested parties will also have an opportunity to provide comment at that stage.
Switzerland began dabbling in cannabis legalization in 2023 by initiating a pilot regulated sales pilot program open only to selected participants at select locations. For instance, Zurich residents could participate in this trial program for up to 2,100 residents who could purchase marijuana at pharmacies and social clubs.
As part of a pilot study with University of Zurich, participants answered questions regarding how and the health effects associated with how they consumed products as part of an examination called the “Grashaus Project”, open to nearly 4,000 participants from Basel-Landschaft.
Last April, another study was initiated in Bern. Over 1,000 residents from Bern, Biel/Bienne and Lucerne were expected to enroll, though most applicants (around 80 percent) are men. Products available from five pharmacies within Bern include four varieties of cured flower, two concentrates for vaping purposes as well as two tinctures that contain concentrates derived from cannabis plants as well as two vape liquids designed specifically for vaping purposes.
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