Zurich Assesses First Year of Experiment with Legal Cannabis Positively

In August 2023, the legal sale of products containing THC began in Zurich as part of the project “Züri Can – Cannabis mit Verantwortung.”

From that moment on, Zurich residents aged 18 and over can buy cannabis and hashish with a clear conscience – legally and in a fully controlled manner. Interestingly, everything is done under the watchful eye of researchers and officials who not only monitor the health and social effects of legalization, but also draw valuable conclusions from this experiment for the future.

Responsibility and courage in approaching drug policy

If someone had said a few years ago that Zurich would become one of the pioneers in legalizing cannabis, many would have probably considered it a joke. But now the city has become a symbol of an innovative drug policy that emphasizes not only legality but also responsibility.

Andreas Hauri, the councilor responsible for health and environment, does not hide his pride in the results of the first year of this experiment. His words are full of courage and conviction that the modern approach to cannabis must be based on health and prevention.

“Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility” is more than just a legalization project. It is a vision in which the cannabis user is not left to his own devices, but has access to education, advice and health support. “We show that modern preventive work can go hand in hand with controlled access to cannabis products,” says Hauri. And indeed – the first results speak for themselves.

First year – success in numbers

The project has kicked off in full swing, attracting 2,100 participants in its first year. The opportunity to legally purchase cannabis has enjoyed huge interest – in its first year alone, 36,000 transactions were made, and 300 kilograms of cannabis ended up in the hands of participants.

Importantly, 88% of those taking part in the experiment rated the quality of the products very positively. This is an impressive result, which shows that controlled legalization does not have to mean a drop in quality, quite the opposite – users can be sure that what they are buying is safe and of high quality.

Not everything went smoothly, however. One of the social clubs that offered the products had to close down, and about 150 participants decided to leave the project for various reasons. Nevertheless, even these difficulties were a valuable lesson for the experiment organizers, who are improving their activities thanks to them.

Health comes first

Zurich has not forgotten that legalizing cannabis is not only a matter of the right to freely purchase the substance, but above all, responsibility for the health of its residents. Employees of sales points have established relationships with project participants, which allows them to offer not only products, but also knowledge on safer and less risky use of cannabis.

“90% of participants rate the sales staff as competent and helpful,” says Barbara Burri, project manager. Interestingly, many use the free consultations, both from sales staff and from the doctors conducting the research, to reconsider their approach to cannabis use. Individual advice on harm reduction and health promotion is becoming a key element of the experiment.

It is an approach that sets Zurich apart from other countries where legalizing cannabis can be a purely commercial venture, with little concern for the health of users.

The Future of Design – More Choice, More Diversity

While the results are promising, one recurring concern from participants is that they would like a wider selection of products. In response to these expectations, four new cannabis strains are planned for the second year of the experiment, bringing the number of available products to thirteen.

The experiment will run until October 2026, which gives plenty of time for further observations and adjustments. New data is published on the University of Zurich website every month , and public interest, both in Switzerland and abroad, has been enormous. Some have even suggested that other countries, such as the Netherlands, should look at this model to speed up their own legalization processes .

What’s next in Zurich?

The first year of the “Züri Can – Cannabis mit Verantwortung” experiment shows that legal cannabis can function sustainably and responsibly. Zurich has not only proven that it is possible to control the sale of cannabis, but also that an approach based on public health and prevention can bring tangible benefits.

This is not a one-off experiment – ​​it is a preview of a future in which cannabis users are treated with respect and responsibility. For now, it remains to be seen how this project develops and whether other cities and countries decide to follow a similar path.

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(Featured image by ChiemSeherin via Pixabay)

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First published in FaktyKonopne. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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