Could Switzerland Be The Next Supplier Of Legal Weed In Europe?
A recent article by The Guardian uncovers the Swiss green rush.
In cannabis fields throughout Switzerland, harvest time is about to end. Crops will soon be distributed to head shops in France and Switzerland, and soon may be available in other parts of Europe thanks to a business named CBD420.
CBD420 was founded by Jonas Duclos, a 31-year-old former banker. CBD420 is a legal business in Switzerland, and one of their products is Blue Dream, a popular strain of hemp with low THC levels (0.2%), enough for it to be legal in most European countries save for the UK where even minimal traces of THC is illegal. Blue Dream is a valued medicinal strain because of its high CBD content. CBD isn’t considered a controlled substance in Europe, and it can also be sold in Britain without a Home Office license provided it’s obtained from cannabis plants.
Duclos’ legal cannabis products are sold in over a thousand tobacco shops in Switzerland, which permits up to 1% THC content. In France, the limit is 0.2% THC. “There is a loophole that lets us bring it on the market,” says Duclos. He has his eyes set on exporting it to other places in Europe including Italy. CBD420’s hemp is low in THC, which makes it illegal in the UK although CBD products such as oils and topicals will be available in some shops in Britain beginning mid-December.
European law will require Duclos to assess his marketing strategies so that the products are not advertised as medicine. In 2016, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) started requiring a license for any CBD product that’s marketed as medicine. According to Ian Hamilton, a mental health academic at York University, “There is considerable confusion about the legal status of products which contains cannabis extracts such as cannabidiol. Suppliers of these products were instructed by the MHRA to remove any product they were selling until the appropriate license was obtained. But this will leave many people who use these products unsure if they are breaking the law or not.”
Hamiltn adds, “Some CBD products are already marketed as nutritional supplements. But irrespective of how it is marketed, the main risk to the individual is probably not that of being arrested… if they try a do-it-yourself treatment they may be putting their health at risk, and even if they do consult their GP it is unlikely they will have sufficient evidence or knowledge to advise the individual.”
According to Duclos, Blue Dream is still behind in France because nobody’s sure how the government will react. “Every shop gets an order of 100 jars to prevent any reaction from the authorities…. But the demand is huge,” he says.
“If the French government goes against it, then that is its choice, but the population there are now very pro-cannabis. We shall see; it is obviously not our decision and we will comply and stop any distribution in France if required. For now, all we can do is make sure our products respect the THC level under 0.2% and just like in Switzerland, we are not allowed to market hemp as a medicine. We don’t recommend people smoke it. Even if someone can experience potential benefits, smoking is never healthy,” adds Duclos.
The interest in cannabis products is timely, given the increasing support towards cannabis use in many countries particularly in the European Union. Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands are among the European countries that have loosened up regulations regarding cannabis. On the other hand, 8 US states already legalized recreational cannabis use. Germany and other countries have also allowed its use medicinally. The changes surrounding cannabis law have enabled scientists to make recommendations for safer cannabis use; one of these is increasing CBD levels to provide medicinal value while reducing the psychoactive high from the plant.
King’s College London Study
Amir Englund and a team of researchers from King’s College London began a study to identify the best THC:CBD ratio. Participants are given THC:CBD ratios ranging from 1:0 to 1:3, and the researchers will analyze which ratio is linked to the least negative effects on the volunteers’ paranoia and memory.
According to Englund, “Most of the cannabis sold on the UK black market has high THC and low or absent CBD levels. Several lines of research have pointed towards this type of cannabis being riskier. Recent UK figures have found that overall cannabis use has been declining while number of people seeking treatment for cannabis use problems or psychiatric admission have been rising. One of the main candidate explanations has been the growing dominance of high THC-potency cannabis. Some studies have found that CBD on its own can be an antipsychotic.”
Duclos adds, “All we need now is a real law and regulation around the use of these substances for everyone, and for authorities to apply the law and for all products to be fully controlled. A law covering every aspect so people get the cleanest product possible and can choose which THC and CBD level they want, depending on their needs. Under a controlled regulation, we can even expect a better education for everyone, the black market to decrease and tax revenues for the state to increase as it has in the US.”
Duclos doesn’t mind triggering a response from the government. “At any moment, the French authorities could say, ‘Oh let’s say CBD is now the same as THC and should be illegal. Then it is over in France… honestly, it is fun – we are poking the government and saying ‘What do you think about that?’” he says.
OTHER STORIES YOU MAY ENJOY...
SWISS CANNABIS CLUBS ARE COMING, CLICK HERE.
OR..
WHY EUROPE IS THE BIGGEST CANNABIS MARKET IN THE WORLD, CLICK HERE.
