Regulated sale of cannabis in Lausanne: shop to open in September

The city of Lausanne, in partnership with Addiction Suisse, has launched a pilot project called Cann-L, which aims to study the effects of regulated non-profit sales of cannabis on consumer behaviour and its impact on the illegal cannabis market.

The pilot trial was approved by the Federal Office of Public Health, joining similar projects in Basel and Zurich.

The study hopes to involve about 1200 cannabis users residing in Lausanne, with 2000 people having already expressed interest on the project website. Registration for the study will open in June and the retail outlet will open in September. The products will be sold in a single point of sale with no medical connotations, and the sales team will provide advice on consumption and risk reduction. The team will also be able to "evaluate and direct people with problematic consumption into the help network", according to the City of Lausanne.

The sale of products will start in September and will be for personal and private consumption. The "local and organic" cultivation of the plants has also started and the first harvest will take place during the summer. The products will be prepared before they go on sale.

The study aims to gain a better understanding of cannabis consumption, strengthen prevention and limit the nuisance caused by the illegal market. The Vaud capital seeks to study the effects of the regulated sale of non-profit cannabis on consumer behaviour and its impact on the illegal market. The people enrolled in the study will also be monitored to assess their consumption behaviour.

The City of Lausanne stated that the aim of the project was to "study cannabis consumption in a scientific manner in order to better understand it and strengthen prevention, but also to limit the nuisance caused by the illegal market".