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Switzerland to legalise recreational and medical cannabis usage

Switzerland will draw up a draft law for the legalisation of cannabis usage, after a parliamentary commission ruled the drug should no longer be banned.

Published: 19 October 2021 17:31 CEST
A joint and some sticky icky bud on top of a magazine encouraging you to grow your own.
Switzerland will legalise cannabis production and medical-based consumption, although the specifics of the law remain to be seen. Photo by Shelby Ireland on Unsplash

The production, cultivation, trade and consumption of cannabis will no longer be banned in Switzerland after a commission investigating the drug said the laws should be changed, Swiss news outlet Blick reported on Tuesday. 

The Social Security and Health Commission of the Council of States (SGK-S) said cannabis should be regulated in Switzerland in order to control the “cannabis market for better youth and consumer protection”. 

EXPLAINED: Which banks are best for foreigners in Switzerland?

The aim of the SGK-S is to eliminate the black market for the drug in Switzerland. A draft law will now be drawn up in Swiss parliament. 

Importantly, it appears that not only will medical use be allowed, but recreational use will also be approved. 

Other rules, for instance how individuals can cultivate and produce cannabis for personal use, as well as taxation issues, will be laid out as part of the legal effort. 

The decision was made on Tuesday afternoon, with 9 of the body’s 11 representatives voting in favour. 

The legalisation has support from across Switzerland’s political spectrum, with 40 members of the National Council signing the initiative. 

While Switzerland’s laws for cannabis production and usage are relatively strict, a movement towards legalisation has been brewing for some time. 

According to one such plan, the cannabis sold in Switzerland would be exclusively produced by Swiss farmers. 

READ MORE: Ten things Zurich residents take for granted

What are the current rules in Switzerland for cannabis use?

As at mid-October 2021, THC of at least 1 percent is generally prohibited in Switzerland and use of products with this (or higher) content may be punishable by a 100-franc fine.

Of course, if someone is determined to smoke it, 100 francs may not be much a deterrent — but that’s a subject for another article.

“By contrast, possession of up to 10g of cannabis for personal use is not considered a criminal offence”, the law states, as long as it is not used by or sold to minors.

Cannabis: What are the rules in Switzerland?

And, as with nearly everything else in decentralised Switzerland, “there are still considerable differences between cantons regarding implementation of the fixed penalty procedure”.

However, “cannabis flowers intended for smoking with a high proportion of cannabidiol (CBD) and less than 1 percent THC can be sold and purchased legally”, according to the legislation. 

That’s because, unlike the THC, cannabidiol “does not have a psychoactive effect”.

In other words, low-content THC and CBD will not give the “high” that recreational users seek.

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FOOD & DRINK

Why tinned ravioli is a cult classic in Switzerland

If you come from Italy, the idea of this meat-filled square pasta coming from a can rather than from mamma's or nonna's kitchen may be hard to swallow. But as generations of Swiss will tell you, this is a cult dish.

Published: 24 March 2023 12:03 CET
Why tinned ravioli is a cult classic in Switzerland

There is no accounting for taste, but you probably know by now that the Swiss like to eat and drink some things that may very well turn other people’s stomachs.

Here are some of them:

They either enjoy the taste – or the history behind these foods and beverages… which may also explain why so many swear by canned ravioli.

A timeless classic

Back in 1866 in a small town of Lenzburg in canton Aargau a Hero was born.

Not literally, of course, but the company bearing this name started to preserve fruits and vegetables so they could retain their freshness longer.

In fact, Hero-label jams as well as canned fruits and vegetables are still a common sight on Swiss supermarket shelves.

The next milestone in the company’s history came in 1948, when Hero started canning meat ravioli in tomato sauce. This meal is widely sold to this day, which means it is ‘celebrating’, as it were, its 75th anniversary.

Though cans themselves may have changed with time, the ravioli hasn’t

If you wince at the mere thought of eating canned meat ravioli, don’t let the Swiss see it.

Because for millions of them, the fond memory of opening the can, pouring the contents into a dish, and delving into the sweetish tomato sauce, is part of their childhoods.

This is even more the case if you were a scout and remember sharing cans of Hero raviolis with your troop, or maybe a student living in a dormitory on a tight budget.

Ravioli

A cult favourite of the Swiss. Photo courtesy of Hero ravioli.

Seventy-five years of preserving memories

In this context, the word ‘preserve’ has a double meaning, but you get the gist: given the nostalgia, the canned ravioli in tomato sauce is a true Swiss classic.

Soon after the product was first launched, Hero ran an advertising campaign geared to men. It was based on a premise that though they may have been inept at cooking from scratch, they could certainly open a can and heat up the ravioli all by themselves.

A slogan popular in the 1950s said that canned ravioli is so simple to make that even “Uncle Otto cooks himself.” (Thankfully, it didn’t sound quite so weird in German — “Onkel Otto kocht selber.”

That was then, but what about now?

The company has launched an anniversary campaign this year to spread the message among the younger generation that Hero’s ravioli has been “hot since 75 years”.

Yes, but what exactly is in it?

The manufacturer says that only free-range eggs are used for the dough, and they exclusively use Swiss beef and pork for the filling.

The secret of the taste, according to the company, lies in the special herb and spice mix, as well as in the tomato sauce.

However, back in 1978, allegations were made that Hero used pig heads, stomachs, hearts and lungs for their meat filling. The company denied the accusation and this 45-year-old affair is now only vaguely remembered as Switzerland’s ‘ravioli scandal.’

Whether this is better (or worse) than a banking scandal is not for us to say.
 

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