Editorial (LI102)

Dear member

Repression figures are falling (see statistics pages). On average, police forces and public prosecutors are using fewer resources to prosecute hemp. That pleases me immensely! So the federal court rulings are having an effect. The general overload of authorities is probably also playing a role.

As positive as this reduction is, it also means that arbitrariness is increasing. Because those who are still affected experience practically the same things as always: questioning, house searches, reprimands, punishments.

It would be highly desirable if the public prosecutor's offices clearly communicated that certain actions will no longer be prosecuted. I don't mind if this differs from canton to canton (the public prosecutor's offices are cantonal authorities). But then at least we would know: well, in these cantons hemp seed cases are no longer prosecuted. In those cantons, consumption on record is no longer prosecuted. And so on.

Because the police can no longer prosecute everything, there simply aren't enough resources. However, a change in the law is still a long way off. So: define exceptions for criminal prosecution!

Best regards from the secretary

Sven Schendekehl