Those who can buy cannabis legally and in a regulated manner at a pharmacy consume, on average, no more of it. According to the first interim results of a Swiss cannabis study, consumption has even declined somewhat. This is shown by the results of an investigation carried out in the cities of Bern, Biel and Lucerne.
A Central Fear Rebutted
Regulated sales did not lead participants to consume more. On the contrary, the study shows slight downward tendencies. “This rebuts one of the central concerns in the political debate,” says study leader Reto Auer from the Institute of General Practice Medicine at the University of Bern.
More Expensive Than the Black Market
For cannabis at the pharmacy, you pay more than on the black market. The reason is a fee that finances professional counselling. Older study participants accept these higher prices, while 18 to 25-year-olds react more sensitively.
Of Importance to Others
Around 70 percent of participants said they pass on the information from counselling to their circle, and valued that product quality is always the same — unlike cannabis from the black market. Before the study, there were fears that products could be resold, but such cases have practically not occurred, according to the study.
Study in Brief
The so-called Script study “The Safer Cannabis – Research In Pharmacies randomized controlled Trial” has been conducted since 2024 in the Swiss cities of Bern, Biel and Lucerne. 1,177 people from all age groups from 18 years take part, and it has recently been extended by the federal government until October 2028. Other cannabis pilot projects are underway in Zurich, Basel, Lausanne, Geneva and in the canton of St. Gallen.
Source:
Cannabis-Studie: Erste Ergebnisse: Legale Hanf-Abgabe lässt Konsum nicht steigen — SRF (Switzerland)
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