Drugs Basel cannabis study has improved the psyche of stoners
The Basel Department of Health has drawn a positive balance after two years of the cannabis study. The 300 or so stoners who used cannabis legally as part of the study were in better mental health than before the study began.
28.03.2025, 10:45
SDA
Over the course of the two-year "Weedcare" cannabis study, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms decreased among the participants, as reported by the Department of Health of the Canton of Basel-Stadt on Friday. They also showed less addictive behavior.
However, cannabis consumption remained unchanged among the study participants. Neither the number of days on which cannabis was consumed nor the amount of cannabis consumed changed.
900,000 francs worth of cannabis
A total of 87 kilograms of cannabis were sold in Basel in the first two years of the study. These were worth 900,000 francs on the illegal market, according to the press release. A third of these were products with a THC content of less than 13 percent. According to the Department of Health, this is less than the usual black market products.
The Basel cannabis study will continue until January 2027. A final report will be produced once the joint study by the Basel-Stadt Department of Health, the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, the Psychiatric Services Aargau and the University of Basel has been completed.
First cannabis trial in Switzerland
The cannabis trial in the canton of Basel-Stadt was the first of its kind in Switzerland. From September 2022, Basel residents who had already consumed drug hemp and were at least 18 years old were able to buy cannabis products in several pharmacies in Basel. A gram cost between 8 and 12 francs.
Similar studies have since been launched in several cities, including Zurich, Lausanne, Bern, Biel and Lucerne.
