19.12.2017 => Winter break office until and including 3 January

An eventful association year is coming to an end. Worth mentioning are for example the enlarged board, the submission of the initiative text, the return to offset printing for our magazine, the expansion of the positions and finally we will be able to book over 100,000 francs donations for the initiative project. Many thanks to all who have supported us!
Now it's time for our winter break, during which we want to recharge our batteries as much as possible for 2018. The program is already well filled: First to close the 2017 also accounting, then the association meeting, the Legalize it! No. 80, Shit happens 11, the 20th of April and the Cannatrade - and then it's only the end of April!

The office will be staffed again as of January 4, and is best reached MO, DI, DO, and FR afternoons. The next important date is the association meeting on January 26. ¹⁾

We wish everyone restful winter days and a successful start to the new year!

04.12.2017 - Magazine Legalize it! No. 79 is published & No. 78 is online

These days our members have the current number 79 of our magazine Legalize it! in their mailbox. Thanks to Ruth and Sven for the mailing! Furthermore we thank all for their support and wish an interesting reading!

We have also pdf'd another issue of our magazine Legalize it! It is Issue 78now available for Issue 78 download, both as a whole and as individual articles in the areas of politics, justice and the scene. The current issue is still reserved for our members.

Fall 2017

08.11.2017 - Cannabis Initiative (#CH420): Final spurt fundraising campaign.

Our initiative team is collecting donations - at the moment we are at 68'000 francs. Until the end of the year we want to collect at least 100'000 francs so that we can start collecting signatures next year.
Support us by signing up in the online form - either as a signer or even as a collector. And as already mentioned, we are dependent on further donations - we are very grateful if you can donate.
If you have further questions, e.g. about your commitment or about the initiative in general, which are not answered on the website or in the articles in the magazine Legalize it! you can write an e-mail to Nino.

With enough support, together we can change the unsatisfactory reality of cannabis repression in this country! Not only for us, but also for future generations, a Switzerland should be created that deals more sensibly with this ingenious plant and its products. This way, the lives of many people could be improved - whether consuming or not. <strong>Let's legalize it!</strong>

14.10.2016 => Autumn break still until 31 October

The office has been in vacation mode for two weeks now and will be until October 31: It is manned all day on Wednesdays, otherwise we can be reached mainly by e-mail.

As of November 2, we will be available again as usual (Mon/Thurs/Thurs/Fri, afternoons). There will also be a members' meeting on November 3.

We wish everyone beautiful autumn days!

09/24/2017 - Federal court ruling of September 6: possession of a minor amount of cannabis.

Already on September 6, the Federal Supreme Court had published a verdict, which meanwhile mainly concerns e.g. the Zurich prosecuting authorities and will probably change the reality of the minor amount in the future properly - . many media have reported. As almost always, there are of course also setbacks: The canton of St. Gallen, for example, has already threatened to take countermeasures. In this context, it is also worth mentioning the Ticino, where the repressive apparatus has been hunting even CBD hemp for some time. It remains to be seen whether and how Ticino will react to the aforementioned ruling.

Already in September 2013, when we published our 9th edition of the legal aid brochure "Shit happens", we took the position that the preparatory acts (i.e. possession) of small amounts of cannabis (up to 10 grams) were not punishable - after all, this is what the law says… But already at that time we suspected that the repressive apparatuses would see enough room for interpretation and therefore we named this part of the brochure and also the page in our wiki “Quasi legal”, which corresponds quite exactly to the reality: It is legal according to the opinion, but there are just different opinions… It was not surprising that many cantonal law enforcement agencies did not change their almost 40 years old practice: Newly for possession simply also fixed penalties distributed, from 2016 then also increasingly for CBD hemp.

The starting point of the current events is the partial revision of the Narcotics Law (NarcA), which had been voted together with the rejected hemp initiative (63% No) on Nov. 30, 2008 (68% Yes). On July 1, 2011, this came into force and thus the legal loophole that had enabled the store boom (“Duftsäckli”) from the mid-1990s was also plugged.
With the fixed penalties, it should then be possible to punish (by the police) observed consumption (in public) quickly and straightforwardly from autumn 2013. Thus, the punishment of cannabis use should be simplified and thus accelerated, which should bring lower costs as well as a Switzerland-wide standardization. However, criminal prosecution itself was, is and remains a matter for the cantons. In addition to these new types of fixed penalties, a second paragraph was added to Article 19b, which sets the concept of a minor quantity from the first paragraph at 10 grams in the law. The first paragraph dates back to the 1970s, when the prohibition of consumption had been introduced - but it did not play any role until then, only the definition in terms of quantity set the whole thing in motion… albeit with a start-up time of four years!

Now it remains to be seen what will happen next. The new border will probably be drawn mainly at the consumption. But without rapid tests to keep CBD users out of the mills of justice, the situation will remain grim. One - if not the - main problem was and perhaps will remain that (too) many simply pay the (illegal) fixed penalties because they want 'no stress' - even if it is CBD hemp. Recently, it no longer matters (depending on the canton) whether it is THC or CBD, as long as no consumption takes place and it is less than 10 grams. And maybe the introduction of rapid tests will bring a better solution for CBD users. However, one drop of bitterness will probably remain: weed and hash will probably continue to be confiscated in almost all cases, even if this does not correspond to the will of the commission that originally drafted the amendment to the law.

Conclusion: The prosecution of cannabis users in Switzerland is confused and this will not change so quickly. The different approaches in the cantons will keep us busy for a long time. Also the discussions about the protection of minors, the witch hunt in road traffic, the handling of hemp medicines and in general the frighteningly widespread and partly hair-raising prejudices against cannabis remain topical. Not only we from the association Legalize it! are of the opinion that a legalization would bring the most advantages in dealing with this ingenious plant that has been appreciated by people for thousands of years - therefore: Let's legalize it!

07.09.2017 - Magazine Legalize it! No. 78 is published & No. 77 is online

These days our members have the current number 78 of our magazine Legalize it! in their mailbox. Thanks to Ruth and Sven for the mailing! Furthermore we thank all for their support and wish an interesting reading!

We have also pdf'd another issue of our magazine Legalize it! It is Issue 77now available for Issue 77 download both as a whole and as individual articles in the areas of politics, justice, culture and the scene. The current issue is still reserved for our members.

04.09.2017 - Article and reader debate on hemp legalization.

On August 24, an interesting article on the topic of hemp legalization was published in the NZZ under the heading “Opinion”. There was also a lively reader debate online. It is no secret that 'our' topic hemp has a hard stand among the population. Especially when it comes to legalization, many rifts open up: between and through parties, between parts of the country and cantons, among experts, within families, among voters and in general among the population - even among consumers!
This picture is also reflected in the media: positive and negative articles alternate with surprising regularity. An article warning of the health consequences of cannabis use is followed by one recommending legal use, as this is the only way to better protect young people. This is followed, for example, by interviews with conservative politicians who are of the opinion that legalization would make prevention impossible… It is therefore not surprising that the majority is confused, especially when the reference to the topic is missing.
An important, if not the most important goal of a successful legalization movement must therefore be not only to bring this - mostly silent - majority to the ballot box in a referendum, but to inform them to such an extent that they will not vote no. So there is still a lot to do - let's do it: Let's legalize it!

04.09.2017 - New dimension in legal CBD hemp prosecution

On August 23, "20 Minuten" reported on a case in which a smoker from even in the Coop available CBD hand cigarettes had a fixed penalty had got one. It is not a new phenomenon that the police - probably due to a lack of rapid tests, among other things - do not make a distinction between CBD hemp and potent, i.e. THC-rich hemp: After all, neither appearance nor smell provides information about the THC content. Since the beginning of the “CBD boom” in the fall of 2016, such and similar cases have occurred again and again. Sure, the contents of a plastic bag can be easily replaced. What is new is the suspicion that users could go so far as to exchange the contents of industrially manufactured, legal hemp cigarettes. Although this would be theoretically possible, the effort is considerable and a manipulation is relatively easy to detect (according to the manufacturer).
The police makes it all too easy and chooses the easy and fast way of fixed penalty on the hump of the consumers. Even minor amounts of THC-rich cannabis are mostly punished with such since the change in the law (1.10.2013) came into force (at least city & canton of Zurich). However, as long as almost all of these (illegal) fixed penalties are simply paid, there is no reason for the law enforcement agencies to deviate from the chosen path. It remains to be seen whether court decisions, the introduction of rapid tests or the increased contesting of fixed penalties will change anything about the situation.

04.09.2017 - Consultation on the lifting of cannabis prohibition (16.8.17).

Already in mid-August, the Fachverband Sucht had informed about a survey on the lifting of the ban on cannabis. It is certainly gratifying that (depending on the model) up to two thirds of the respondents agreed to decriminalization. However, various questions remain: What does it mean that “consumption in connection with driving remains prohibited”? Whether legal or illegal, zero tolerance in road traffic makes no sense when it comes to driving ability; on the contrary, people who consume CBD hemp or hemp food, for example, are already criminalized. With legal access to THC-rich cannabis, the current practice would be taken ad absurdum and the witch hunt that is already taking place would be intensified - so it all makes no sense at all. In the case of popular initiative, there is also the question of the majority of the states and, finally, polls on election and voting behavior are always to be taken with a large portion of caution - not only since Trump…

Summer 2017

06.08.2017 - New documents on cannabis repression.

Sven added many new facsimiles to the wiki at the end of July: In the section report the page summary penalty orders 2016 has been extended by some, in the minor amount a discontinuation order has been added and also on the page with examples of minor misdemeanor there were new documents.
We do not have any cases for 2017 yet, although unfortunately there have been many of them this year… and more will follow. We would also like to publish your case (anonymized) - so we can show the real cannabis repression and also help other affected people. Send us a mail with your scans or send us your documents by post (Verein Legalize it!, Quellenstrasse 25, 8005 Zürich). Merci!

02.07.2017 => Summer break office until 6 August

Even our secretary needs a vacation and therefore our office is only occupied on Wednesdays (full day) until August 6. On all other days we can be reached by mail.
From Monday, August 7, the office will be available again as usual (Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri, preferably in the afternoon).
Inquiries about the Initiative project will be taken by Nino. In addition, there would be the possibility of two member meetings (July 7 & August 4), but this depends on the registrations.

We wish everyone a great summer season!

15.06.2017 - Magazine Legalize it! No. 77 is published & No. 76 is online

These days our members have the current number 77 of our magazine Legalize it! in the mailbox. Sven is thanked for the mailing! Furthermore we thank everyone for their support and wish an interesting reading!

We have also pdf'd another issue of our magazine Legalize it! It is Issue 76now available for Issue 76 download both as a whole and as individual articles in the culture and scene sections. The current issue is still reserved for our members.

06.06.2017 - Clarification on the minor quantity

Already on May 12, watson.ch had reported that on June 6, another case will come before the Zurich District Court concerning the possession of a minor amount of cannabis. In short, are Zurich police allowed to issue a warrant for the mere possession of under 10g of cannabis? fixed penalty give?
The first ruling (that we know of) is from 2015 and has been on the wiki since fall 2016. However, it will only become interesting in the higher or federal court, as we have seen that 'only' because of a district court ruling unfortunately nothing changes in the (in our opinion illegal) practice of the Zurich police.

Spring 2017

12.05.2017 - Hemp on TV: Arena on the topic "Legal kiffen?"

Today's edition of the program Arena on Swiss television deals with the topic of cannabis and the current discussion about legalization(report). Some hemp fans can't even watch such shows anymore, because the opponents argue very quickly only on the emotional level (“We have to protect the youth after all!” etc.).
Hopefully, the proponents will not be upset and an interesting debate will take place, not a hickhack.

09.05.2017 - New Swiss hemp law: parliamentary initiative submitted

On May 4, Maya Graf of the Green parliamentary group had submitted a parliamentary initiative for a new hemp law(Bundesgesetz zur Hanfregulierung). Some media reported: TA resp. Bund and SZ resp. watson.
It is very pleasing that the topic of hemp is being dealt with in parliament again - but we know from experience that nothing has been achieved with it yet. The chances of success are impossible to estimate, the deadlines are generous (so the process can take a very long time) and the whole thing could be 'buried' again at any time, which would not be a surprise with the current composition of the parliament.

Already in 2004, a bill (of the Federal Council) was rejected in parliament, respectively the National Council did not even want to deal with it (non-admission) - we had reported about it. Finally, on Nov. 30, 2008, the electorate approved a revision of the law, which brought almost exclusively disadvantages for us hemp fans: Mainly loopholes in the law were filled. The hemp initiative that was put to the vote at the same time was unfortunately unsuccessful and since then there have been no more big throws in the cannabis area 'from Bern'.
Mentioned here are the fixed penalties (OB) and the grammatical definition of the minor amount (from Oct. 1, 2013). The purpose of OB was to simplify and standardize consumption tracking - the latter was not achieved at all, but rather the opposite. Also the minor amount is handled differently depending on the canton or often simply ignored. From our point of view, therefore, there can be absolutely no talk of clear conditions. Clarity exists only in the fact that 'it' is forbidden, is pursued and every year tens of thousands are punished because of it!
In the future we will read even more often headlines à la “Hemp will soon be legal”. But even in the best case, years will pass before it is clear whether there will be a new law (apart from the content). Since a referendum has to be expected, the electorate will probably decide once again. The only ray of hope is that the mood of the people could tilt in the direction of hemp over the years and there would thus be a majority for a more sensible approach to cannabis. However, in view of the everyday repression that has been practiced for decades, this is a rather weak consolation…

25.04.2017 - Happy 420: The initiative is one step further

Last week, the initiative project took a step forward - various media had reported.

The online form is now available at cannabis-initiative.ch, where you can also leave your statements.

Such an initiative costs money - please support Dario's crowdfunding at wemakeit. Only with enough resources we can bring the initiative to a successful conclusion, merci.

08.04.2017 => Spring break until and including 24 April

From April 10 to and including April 24, we will be on break and the office will not be staffed.

We cannot offer legal advice during this time, but will sporadically check the combox and are best reached by mail.

As of Tuesday, April 25, the office will be available again as usual (Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri, preferably in the afternoon). The next members' meeting will take place on May 5 (please pre-register).

We wish all beautiful spring days and a successful start into the new season!

23.03.2017 - Annual report and financial statements 2016

Last week we still Annual report with financial statements 2016 as PDFpublished our. Annual report with financial statements 2016 as PDFThis gives information about our financial situation and the activities in the last year. The general meeting of the association had already taken place on January 27th and brought the most striking change for 2017 with the enlarged board.
The annual report is part of the magazine Legalize it! No. 76 of March 2017, which is reserved for members and will be available online for everyone in June. It contains - besides info about the association - a travel report about Amsterdam and an article about the last SACM meeting²⁾. Become a member and receive our latest information!

11.03.2017 - Magazine Legalize it! No. 76 is published & No. 75 is online

This week, the current number 76 of our magazine Legalize it! was packed and shipped - thanks to the shipping team! Some received it already yesterday, others should have it in their mailbox on Monday. We wish good reading!

We have also pdf'd another issue of our magazine Legalize it! It is Issue 75now available for Issue 75 download both as a whole and as individual articles in the areas of justice, culture and scene. The current issue is still reserved for our members.

Winter 16/17

14.02.2017 - Shit happens 10 pdf and member meeting 2017

We have PDF versionput our legal aid brochure Shit happens online. On paper it already came out last fall and can still be ordered. By the way: Members can order two additional copies for free!

The board has also fixed the dates for the members' meetings in the first half of the year: Members will always meet on the first Friday of the month to exchange ideas. You can bring interested people with you or they can contact us. On these evenings, the association, members and projects (e.g. initiative) can get to know each other better.

28.01.2017 - That was the association meeting 2017

Our January 27th Association Meeting (AGM) was very well attended with 20 members and 2 guests. Many thanks to those who helped and for the active participation! If we continue to grow this year, we will have to come up with something for next time in terms of space and planning…
Sven led competently through the agenda as he has done for years: After the acceptance of the Minutes of the AGM 2016, the presentation of the Minutes of the AGM 2016 annual report 2016 and the acceptance of the invoice 2016, the election of the Minutes of the AGM 2016 board 2017 was on the agenda. Minutes of the AGM 2016The board was enlarged from two to four people: In addition to Sven and Fabian, Markus and Nino were elected.
Now the enlarged board has to constitute itself in the coming weeks and plan the further procedure. Therefore, there will be no (members') meetings in February yet - but we will announce the dates of our Friday activities as soon as they are fixed.
In March the No. 76 of our magazine should be published and then the next April 20 is coming up, which is important for the project initiative - let's legalize!

27.01.2017 => Association meeting 2017

On January 20, we really started the new year and prepared the association meeting on January 27. The figures for the annual accounts are already available, now we have to finish the annual report. With this we would have most of the ingredients for the official part of the AGM together.
There will certainly be enough time for questions and discussions - an important part of the evening, especially in a special year like this one.

We look forward to welcoming many new and old familiar members! ³⁾