Results from Swiss Cannabis Pilot Program Suggest Legalization Reduces Problematic Cannabis Use

The first results from Switzerland’s adult-use cannabis pilot program suggest that legal cannabis access reduces problematic cannabis consumption, according to a study published last month in the journal Addiction. In the study, the researchers define “problematic consumption” if it causes or exacerbates health, social or psychological difficulties – even without dependency in the classic sense. 

Out of approximately 370 participants who participated in the study, half were able to buy legal cannabis in one of the nine participating pharmacies. The participants were offered counseling in the process. The other half, as a control group, continued to use illegally-sourced cannabis. The participants reported on their consumption and mental state via regular questionnaires. 

The participants who obtained cannabis legally reported “a significant drop” in problematic cannabis use, despite there being no significant difference between the first study groups in terms of anxiety, depression, and other symptoms in the first six months. After the first six months, the control group was able to buy cannabis through the pharmacies. Two years into the study, the 300 participants still taking part showed significant improvement in their mental state.  

“Public health-oriented recreational cannabis access may decrease cannabis use and cannabis-related harms,” the researchers concluded, “especially among those using other drugs.” 

Last February, the National Council’s Social Security and Health Committee voted 14-9 in favor of a federal law draft that would allow citizens to grow, buy, possess, and consume cannabis. The Weed Care study was launched in Basel in January 2023.