The sub-commission may continue discussions

After two years of work, the subcommittee of the National Council's Committee for Safety and Health has not published anything concrete on the legalization of cannabis in Switzerland. The National Council has now extended the deadline by a further two years.

Since, after two years, neither a text nor a roadmap for the next steps has been published, it shows that this is complicated. The handling of international treaties; the regulatory model (who is allowed to buy, consume, own, produce, sell and so on, where and when and under what conditions); the exact legal text (and possibly also a new section in our constitution) still do not seem to have been clarified.

From a logical point of view, it is desirable to attempt a grand design that brings together all regulatory aspects in a proper legalization bill. But in terms of reality in politics, such an attempt can always fail spectacularly. Therefore, it would probably be better to advance in small steps:

• Firstly, the decriminalization of consumption (which is still punishable in Switzerland) and the possession of, for example, 100 grams for personal use
• Secondly, the legalization of cultivation for personal use (seeds, plants)
• Thirdly, the legalization of communal, non-profitable cultivation in cooperatives or associations
• Finally, proper legalization with commercial cultivation and distribution.

We elected a new parliament at the end of October 2023. Some previous members have left and new ones have joined. Therefore the committees and the responsible sub-committees are undergoing rearrangement. It is difficult to assess how they will proceed: Will it delay or advance the process? Since the parliament has become more conservative again, it is unlikely to find majorities for a new hemp policy. It appears questionable that progress will be made swiftly without external pressure.

Link to the development of the Siegenthaler parliamentary initiative