Drug pilot experiment: Lausanne sells 4.5 kg of cannabis

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>

About 320 people have so far purchased cannabis at the Cann-L project’s point of sale, Frank Zobel, who also heads the scientific part of the project, said in an interview with “24 Heures” published on Saturday. “They are on average between 35 and 40 years old and are not normally included in addiction programs.” Study participants can purchase controlled cannabis products as part of the project.

The strongest cannabis on offer attracts the greatest interest, Zobel continues. “It has a THC content of about 15 percent and accounts for 40 percent of sales.” More than 600 other adults from Lausanne have already made an appointment to participate in the project in the coming months.

The fact that the project has not yet led to a reduction in drug sales on the street is because the previous study participants did not obtain their supplies there, according to Zobel. They receive the products from friends or producers. Street sales correspond ‘more to a spontaneous need’.

The Federal Office of Public Health gave the green light to the Cann-L project in the capital of Vaud in March. The aim of the experiment is to assess the effects of non-profit cannabis sales on user behavior and its influence on the illicit market. Participants must complete a questionnaire every six months. The R1.7 million project is expected to take four and a half years.

In Switzerland, the entry into force of an amendment to the federal law on narcotic drugs in 2021 has paved the way for strictly controlled pilot testing. In 2023, Basel-Stadt and later Zurich started the controlled sale of cannabis in pharmacies.

(SDA)

Source:Blick