Legal form of marijuana clouds the issue
The sudden emergence of the legal form of marijuana clouds the issue. In the long run, it might lead to the complete legalisation of cannabis.
"THC can cause psychotic states, but CBD is the opposite as it has a calming effect," Savary says, pointing out that a desire to self-medicate often lies behind the usage of psychotropic substances. "Through the usage of cannabidiol, a chemical that does not create a high, we've found that people smoking joints might have been on the lookout for something else at the plant besides THC itself." "Regular smokers may consume cannabis daily without getting stoned," explains the director of a business that wholesales cannabidiol.
"We'll see a legal change within two or thee years," states Jean-Félix Savary, who heads an addiction study team in French-speaking Switzerland. Savary says the coming of cannabidiol is"great news since it shows a lack of regulation in this field. But we want a decision on the issue." The dependency expert is lobbying for a state-controlled marketplace like that suggested by a Canadian bill on cannabis. The sale of the legal cannabis has caused plenty of problems. Cantonal police officers, by way of instance, suddenly have the impossible task of determining whether individuals are smoking joints or CBD.
The response from the medical sector was mixed. Smoking cannabidiol could be bad for your wellbeing, but at the exact same time customers suffer less damage than when using marijuana containing high levels of THC, which has been demonstrated to be harmful.
Authorities left in a tricky situation
The coming of over-the-counter sales of CBD has yet acted as a wake-up call for politicians. Aargau SVP National Councillor David Zuberbühler kicked off the debate in mid-September when he requested the Federal Council why it did not ban cannabidiol-rich hemp. A minor legal change has opened the door to a lucrative market in"cannabis mild" -- or rather, cannabidiol (CBD), one of the plant's active compounds. In 2011, the Swiss authorities set the highest level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) allowed in cannabis, which increased from 0.5% to 1% to ease its use industrially. This psychotropic molecule is prohibited globally. In Terms of CBD, It's not insured by the Swiss Federal Act on Narcotics.
Manufacturers have worked on the creation of a"light" variety of cannabis, getting the right to market it in 2016.
This regulatory inroad has triggered a rush to purchase "cannabidiol cannabis". This item, which can be credited with curative properties, became accessible overnight both in little stores and at large scale retailers. It's marketed as a smokeable cannabis and as a cigarette, but also in the kind of capsules and oil, etc.. In the end of September, the Federal Customs Administration reported that 330 producers had registered for it. A range of cannabis stores in Switzerland sell legal products with a THC worth of less than 1%.
