A three-year pilot study on legal cannabis sales began in Zurich on 22 August, sda reported.
At the start of the “Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility” project, cannabis products will be sold in nine pharmacies and six social clubs.
Especially for the social clubs, there were many interested parties, as project manager Barbara Burri told the media. The city had 34 requests, ten have been approved. The clubs that are still missing will start offering their services in the fall. A pharmacy will also be added. In contrast to the offer in Amsterdam, for example, only members with a special card are allowed to obtain the cannabis.
Of the 1,200 people participating in the study, 80 per cent are men. Marcus Herdener, chief physician at the Psychiatric University Hospital in Zurich, does not expect any falsified results because of this: “Most cannabis users are male.” The age range is between 18 and 80 years. Participants must have been using for at least a year, and most say they do so two to several times a week.
The city of Zurich was looking for over 2000 participants. The fact that this has not yet been achieved is explained by a certain skepticism among users. For example, for the first time ever, cannabis is being offered according to organic standards.
Reselling cannabis is not worthwhile for the participants: The prices correspond to those of the black market. Depending on the THC content, they range from CHF 7 to 10 (USD 8 – 11.40) per gramme.
The three-year pilot study will examine how the sale of cannabis products under regulated conditions affects the consumption and health of the participants. They have to fill out an online questionnaire every six months.