Regardless of whether you are a marijuana enthusiast or just curious, you will want to learn all you can about the weed law in Switzerland. Besides the obvious legality of using marijuana for medical reasons, there are also penalties for passing or selling it. This article will give you all the information you need.
Cannabinoids in Cannabis Are Legal
Several nations around the world have legalized the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Switzerland is among them. In the near future, Switzerland plans to allow residents to cultivate and trade cannabis. The government plans to regulate the quality and sale of cannabis for medical purposes.
The government has announced that it will begin cannabis trials in 2020. These will provide scientific grounds for future legal regulation. The government wants to make cannabis a safe and controlled substance, a goal that will benefit farmers and reduce the black market for marijuana. The government will also implement rules around advertising to minors.
Cannabis products with less than one percent THC are legal in Switzerland. Products with higher THC content will be punished. Besides monetary fines, violators can also be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
Cannabis products that contain CBD will not give a high. They are marketed as anxiety-reducing substances. In addition to the Narcotics Act, hemp products are subject to chemical and cosmetic laws.
Medical Cannabis Is Legal
Until recently, medical cannabis was illegal in Switzerland. The country’s Federal Council had lifted the ban on medical cannabis on August 1st, 2018. However, this law did not cover the cultivation or sale of cannabis for recreational purposes. In other words, patients had to apply to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) for special permits. This created a major administrative burden for physicians.
Now, the Swiss Federal Council has proposed easing the guidelines on medical cannabis. The amendments would allow doctors to prescribe medicinal products containing cannabis as part of their therapeutic freedom. This would make Switzerland competitive in Europe.
The easing of the guidelines would also enable medical cannabis for serious illnesses. In order to do this, however, the Swiss government will need to adapt the Narcotics Control Ordinance (BetmKV). The amendment will not affect reimbursements of medical cannabis products through the nation’s health insurance.
The easing of the guidelines also means that physicians will no longer have to obtain special authorizations from the FOPH. Instead, they will have to report data on therapy to the FOPH for the first two years of treatment. This will enable data to be collected and subsequently used to guide physician prescribing.
Recreational Cannabis Is Expected To Be Approved
Several European nations are working to legalize recreational cannabis, and Switzerland is one of them. Although Switzerland is relatively conservative in its cannabis laws, the country has a long-term plan to legalize recreational cannabis, and is working to advance the process.
A limited pilot program is now in place in Switzerland to evaluate the potential for recreational cannabis to be legalized in the country. The pilot program will evaluate the potential impact of the legalization of cannabis on the economy and the health of adults in Switzerland.
This trial program will allow the sale of cannabis to adult consumers in pharmacies and social clubs. The program is expected to run for a minimum of five years, and could extend for two more years.
This is a significant milestone in Switzerland’s recreational cannabis reform. In addition to proving that the government’s decision to legalize cannabis for adults in controlled substances is not harmful to the general population, it also signals that the Swiss government is taking steps to move the recreational reform forward.
Penalties For Passing On Or Selling Cannabis
Whether you are caught with a small amount of cannabis or you are involved in a cannabis trade, you can be in danger of facing serious penalties. The penalties for passing on or selling cannabis in Switzerland can range from fines to imprisonment. In some cases, you may even be sent to drug rehabilitation.
The possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use is a misdemeanour. However, you can face serious penalties if you are caught with more than 2g of the drug. If the amount is’significant’, you could be jailed for up to five years.
For the sale of cannabis, penalties range from imprisonment to life. You can also be fined, if you are a legal entity. The minimum penalty for a first offence is three months in prison. For a second offence, you could face six months in prison. For a third offence, you could face a maximum of 12 months in prison.
