Switzerland is launching a cannabis sale pilot this summer

A pilot project permitting recreational cannabis use in Basel will commence this summer was approved by Swiss health officials on Tuesday.

According to the city's officials, in late summer, some 400 people in Basel will be able to purchase cannabis from chosen pharmacies.

The goal of the pilot, according to the Federal Office of Public Health, is to learn more about "alternative regulatory forms," such as controlled sales from official merchants.

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Cannabis cultivation and sale are now prohibited in Switzerland, despite the fact that the drug's use is widespread.

They also mentioned that the substance has a substantial underground market, as well as survey data suggesting that a majority of Swiss people support changing the country's cannabis legislation.

The local administration, Basel University, and the city's University Psychiatric Clinics are all participating in the pilot, Euronews reports.

Residents of Basel who are over 18 and already consume cannabis will be allowed to apply - applications are still yet to open.

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They will then be questioned on a regular basis for the next two and a half years to see how the drug affects their mental and physical health.

The cannabis will be supplied by Pure Production, a Swiss company that has been granted permission by Swiss authorities to lawfully produce the substance for research reasons.

Anyone found passing on or selling the the will be penalised, the Federal Office of Public Health said.

Several other cities, including Zurich, Geneva, and Bern, have applied to run similar experiments as well. In September 2020, the Swiss parliament established the legislative framework for such small-scale projects, Swiss Info reports.

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Aneesa Ahmed is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter