Lausanne pilot trial: 4.5 kg of legal cannabis sold so far
Published: Saturday, Jan 13th 2024, 06:40
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In Lausanne, one month after the opening of a store for the regulated sale of cannabis, 4.5 kg of the drug have been sold. According to the deputy director of Addiction Switzerland, this corresponds to a share of five percent that has been withdrawn from the black market.
Around 320 people have so far purchased cannabis at the Cann-L project's point of sale, according to Frank Zobel, who is also in charge of the scientific part of the project, in an interview with "24 Heures" published on Saturday. "They are on average between 35 and 40 years old and do not normally appear in any addiction program." Study participants can purchase controlled cannabis products as part of the project.
According to Zobel, the strongest cannabis on offer is attracting the most interest. "It has a THC content of around 15 percent and accounts for 40 percent of sales." More than 600 other adults from Lausanne have already made an appointment to take part in the project over the next few months.
Street sales have not decreased
The fact that the project has not yet led to a reduction in drug sales on the street is due to the fact that the participants in the study so far have not obtained their supplies there, said Zobel. They obtained the products from acquaintances or producers. Street sales were "more of a spontaneous need".
In March, the Federal Office of Public Health gave the green light for the Vaud capital's Cann-L project. The aim of the trial is to assess the impact of the non-profit sale of cannabis on the behavior of users and its influence on the illegal market. Participants must complete a questionnaire every six months. The project, which costs 1.7 million francs, is scheduled to run for four and a half years.
In Switzerland, the entry into force of an amendment to the Federal Narcotics Act in 2021 paved the way for strictly controlled pilot trials. In 2023, Basel-Stadt and later Zurich began the controlled sale of cannabis in pharmacies.
©Keystone/SDA
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