Incentive tax: How high will it be?

The health policy objectives of the CanPG are to be achieved with an incentive tax. On the one hand, there is an amount that depends on the THC content of a product, and on the other hand there is a surcharge depending on how dangerous the product is. The amount is determined by the Federal Council.

The reduction of the black market is not an objective of the CanPG. It only contains health policy objectives, which are primarily concerned with reducing the THC content of cannabis products and encouraging users to switch from smoking to other forms of consumption. In addition, THC consumption per capita should not increase significantly.

In order to achieve these goals, an incentive tax is being introduced. This is not a tax, so the money does not remain with the state, but is distributed to the entire population via the health insurance funds. This incentive tax will be defined more precisely in the ordinance. It is planned to divide cannabis products into three to four risk classes and to classify products according to THC content.

There is a detailed report on this topic as well as an “informative” table in the explanatory report. It proposes a tax of CHF 2.30 per 50mg of THC and CHF 3.00 per gram if it can be smoked. This means that one gram of an average flower with 15 % THC costs 3 x 2.30 plus 3.00 = 9.90 CHF - for the incentive tax alone. Added to this are cultivation, production of the finished products and the costs of sale (incl. cantonal fees). This should amount to another CHF 5 to 8 per gram. With VAT, this brings the price per gram to around CHF 20. The price rises even higher for stronger products.

Those who have had bad experiences on the black market or have a good salary or only consume occasionally will probably pay these high prices. But the black market, which offers such products for less than CHF 10 per gram, will hardly be dried up in this way.

But then again: This goal is not included in the Cannabis Products Act. It only refers to the legal sector.