Policy overview: What's been going on? (Winter 2021/22)

The Federal Council has sent the ordinances on medicinal hemp for consultation. This means that these facilitations could come into force in the course of 2022. Changes for recreational hemp are demanded by the Siegenthaler parliamentary initiative, which was dealt with by the Council of States committee.

At the end of August 2021, the Federal Council sent the amendments to the ordinance on medicinal cannabis for consultation until November 24. This confirms that the amendments will relax the previous regime, but that the hurdles remain very high. However, medical cannabis is now removed from the list of prohibited narcotics (list d) and included in the list of controlled narcotics (list a). This leads to the fact that now all hemp products are listed in both lists: once as (basically) prohibited and once as controlled (medical area). This looks really funny…

Now the cultivation, the processing as well as the marketing of medical cannabis will be possible, but also strictly regulated (narcotics control ordinance). Home cultivation, for example, will never exist. It even requires an individual cultivation permit for each cultivation cycle/harvest. In addition, an operating license is required (both by Swissmedic). Doctors who prescribe cannabis must report to the FOPH for seven years. This will then be used to create a database with information on which doses are appropriate for which patients. The entry into force in 2022 seems realistic. The link to further information: hanflegal.ch/medizinalhanf

The Commission for Social Security and Health of the Council of States approved this proposal from the National Council Commission by 9 votes to 2 (with 2 absent) on October 18/19, 2021. Thus, the commission of the National Council may elaborate a concrete law, whereby the results of the now starting pilot projects are to be incorporated. Such work usually takes several years. What exactly will come out of it is still open. What is demanded is more youth protection and prevention, containment of the black market and controlled quality. hanflegal.ch/pi2020