Switzerland takes the next step

By Joe Wein,
Berne, Tue 13 Nov 2001:

The Social Security and Health Committee (SGK in German) of the Swiss 'Staenderat' (the upper house of the Swiss parliament) voted
6:4 in favour of legalising use, possession and personal cultivation of cannabis for adults. It also supported the government's proposal to tolerate commercial cultivation and retail sales of cannabis under a set of guidelines that control if cases are prosecuted or not. Sale to minors or to non-residents of Switzerland will still be prosecuted.

The committee deviated from the government's proposal of March 9, 2001 in two details: Possession of small quantities of hard drugs
such as heroin or cocaine will not be subjected to the expediency principle, as had been recommended by a commission of inquiry in
1999. Furthermore, cannabis will not be decriminalised from age 16 up (in line with existing Swiss age limits on beer and wine sales). Instead the age limit will be 18, the same age limit as
for sale of distilled spirits.

Next the draft bill will be subject to debate and a vote by the whole upper house, then the lower house and finally a referendum
(probably in 2003). According to a February 2001 poll some 50-53% of Swiss voters favour decriminalisation or legalisation of
cannabis.

An estimated 600 000 Swiss are estimated to be current users of cannabis.

Joe Wein

Drugs Policy Association (Germany)