Out of the 9 million people in Switzerland, there are estimated to be at least 200,000 residents that use cannabis, which is currently illegal in the country, but enforcement may vary depending on locale.
The Swiss government is considering allowing 5,000 adults to legally smoke cannabis as part of a pilot study to help develop guidelines for recreational consumption.
Cannabis with less than 1 percent THC is already allowed in the country, and possession of up to 8 grams was decriminalized in 2012.
According to the Federal Health Office, cannabis criminalization laws that have been active in the country since 1951 may be changed as a result of the study which is to take place over a maximum of 10 years.
“Without undermining the general cannabis prohibition, we need to be able to test new regulation models under the current situation,” said the government in a statement. “Cities point to the negative impact of current laws, illegal trade in public places that is increasingly disruptive and makes people feel unsafe, and resource-sapping efforts to curb drug sales in urban areas.”
Participants in the study must be current cannabis users and be residents of the municipality where the research will be taking place.
According to the Federal Health Office, the plan will be available for public comment sometime mid-2019.
