The first results from the cannabis pilot trials in Zurich and Basel were recently published. Almost half of the participants in the “Weed Care” pilot trial in Basel continue to consume cannabis from illegal sources. In the pilot trial in Zurich, “Züri Can – Cannabis mit Verantwortung”, the majority of participants are men who consume cannabis more than four days a week. You can find more current findings from the pilot trials in this article.
Interim results of the Basel “Weed Care” study
The “Weed Care” study has been running for just over a year in the canton of Basel-Stadt. Its aim is to investigate the controlled distribution of cannabis products. Of almost 700 interested parties, 378 people were admitted to the study.
Participants can buy six different cannabis products from Swiss organic production in pharmacies. However, only 57 per cent of participants are satisfied with the product range. More than half would like additional products such as edibles, THC oil or e-liquids.
Many participants continue to consume cannabis from illegal sources because they want stronger products or other forms of consumption. This explains why 49 per cent of participants also use cannabis from illegal sources in addition to the study cannabis.
Despite access to legal cannabis products, no increase in consumption was observed. A total of 41 kilograms of cannabis have been sold since January 2023. The participants consume on average around twenty days a month, with a quantity of 1.2 grams per day. There were no significant incidents in the first year of the study.
The study is being conducted by the Basel Department of Health, the University Psychiatric Clinics, the Aargau Psychiatric Services and the University of Basel. It will run until July 2025 and participants will be regularly questioned about their consumption behaviour as well as their physical and mental health. So far, 40 people have dropped out of the study.
Source: Basel study “Weed Care”: Participants consume on 20 days per month (bzbasel.ch)
First results of the study “Züri Can – Cannabis with responsibility”
The website of the University of Zurich provides an up-to-date overview of the status and initial results of the scientific study “Züri Can – Cannabis with responsibility”. The analyses are published monthly by the Dependence Disorders Research Group at the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich.
The study began on 22 March 2023, when the first people started the enrolment process. Since 22 August 2023, study participants have been able to legally purchase study cannabis at their points of purchase. According to the FOPH authorisation, the purchase of study cannabis is possible until October 2026.
Study participants can legally purchase THC-containing cannabis flowers (“weed”) or cannabis resin (“hashish”) from one of a total of 21 supply points. This study examines three types of supply points with interventions to promote lower-risk cannabis use: pharmacies, the Drug Information Centre (DIZ) of the city of Zurich and cannabis social clubs.
Currently, 1928 people have been included in the study. A total of 2100 people can take part in the study. The majority of participants are male, and the 28 to 32 age group is most frequently represented.
The majority of study participants consume cannabis four times a week or more. Participation in the study appears to be particularly attractive to people who use frequently, but people who only use a few times a month also take part.
Around a quarter of the study participants showed signs of a cannabis use disorder before accessing study cannabis. This was recorded by the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT). How this value develops is part of the scientific research.
Study cannabis is purchased directly from the producers by the supply centres. The range includes various products with different THC/CBD contents and genotypes. An overview of the products can be found on the website of the city of Zurich.
Since the start of sales, all the products on offer have been in demand by the study participants, with a total of around 16,500 sales, during which around 140 kg of cannabis was purchased.
What conclusions can be drawn?
The pilot projects provide the first important findings for an efficient fight against the black market. It is becoming clear that successful regulation of the cannabis market is only possible if legislation takes the needs of users into account appropriately.
It would not be expedient to wait for the results of the first trials in three years’ time and in the meantime return the test subjects from the pilot trials to the black market. It is therefore urgently necessary to find a permanent follow-up solution based on the results to date.
The position of IG Hemp Switzerland on cannabis regulation can be viewed at the following link Position paper on Swiss cannabis regulation – IG Hemp Switzerland / CANNABIS REGULATION SWITZERLAND – Implementation of the 10-point model “Protect and Control” – IG Hemp Switzerland
Further information on the “Züri Can” study and how to register can be found on the City of Zurich website “Züri Can – Cannabis mit Verantwortung”.
Website Züri Can (Stadt ZH): Züri Can – Cannabis mit Verantwortung – Stadt Zürich (stadt-zuerich.ch)
Website aktueller Stand (Uni ZH): Züri Can – Aktueller Stand | Zurican | UZH
