Where is the first concrete step?

More and more reports are being written and discussions held. But there is still no concrete, sensible, realistic and quickly implementable proposal from official politics. We have one: at least minimal freedom!

On January 18/19, 2024, the National Council's Social Security and Health Committee discussed an initiative from the canton of Solothurn (22.317). This initiative calls for the legalization of cannabis. The committee unanimously rejected the initiative. It pointed out that it had already set up a sub-commission to draw up a new regulation for cannabis. Yes, that is true. But this sub-commission has already been in existence for two years and has not yet delivered anything concrete.

On February 15, the Committee for Science, Education and Culture of the Council of States dealt with postulate 21.3280 (Legal certainty in the production, trade and use of hemp/cannabis products). The Federal Council drafted a lengthy report on this and published it on November 1, 2023. The report discusses all possible uses of hemp and proposes various options for a new approach. The report contains some useful overviews. The meeting took place after the editorial deadline, but it can be assumed that the Commission will simply take note of the report.

Federal Council report November 2023

The aforementioned “Cannabis Regulation” subcommittee of the SGK-N met for the first time in its new composition on February 20, 2024. Following the elections, 4 of the 9 members are now from the SVP. This will hardly make the work any easier. Will anything concrete emerge this year? More on the development of the Siegenthaler parliamentary initiative (20.473):

Development of the parliamentary initiative

We propose that at least something small be decided quickly and pushed through soon: Make consumption exempt from punishment, increase the exempt quantity to 100g. That would get many consumers out of crime. More will probably take years – and may well fail completely!

At least a minimum