Cannabis to be legally sold in Switzerland as part of study

Cannabis will soon to be available in select pharmacies in Switzerland while a trial is taking place into regulation of the drug.

As part of the new research, scientists are looking into how selling weed will affect the consumption of the drug and how it may affect the health of users.

The 'weed-care' study, which is set to launch on 15 September, will allow 370 Switzerland residents to legally buy weed from nine different establishments across the city of Basel.

Participants are chosen if they are already a regular user of cannabis. Health officials have said they hope the temporary legislation of weed will address any political views residents have about the use of cannabis.

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Until now, cannabis has only be legal in the country for medical exceptions.

Regine Steinauer, head of the addiction department at Basel University said: "The first research question is – whether consumption changes – whether more is consumed, less or the same amount.

"And we are also investigating if the mental state or physical health changes when cannabis is consumed from the pharmacies." 

Users can choose a variety of different weed products. These are priced from €8 (£6.79) to €12 (£10.18) per gram. This price is determined by the current rate on the black market.

Lukas Engelberger, Medical Director for the city of Basel, said: "It's not about full legalisation – but regulation – where consumption is possible in a protected setting. That's what we want to test now."

The 'weed care' research project was approved by the Federal Office of Public Health in April. There was even a referendum in 2008, in which the Swiss people had the chance to vote on the legalisation of cannabis.

However, some 60 percent of voters rejected a proposal to decriminalise weed consumption.

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In other news surrounding the world of cannabis this week, Mike Tyson is said to smoke around $40,000 (£33,000) of weed per month.

Tyson was in conversation with his co-host and former NFL player Eben Britton on his Hotboxin' podcast, saying he smokes around $40,000 of cannabis a month at his ranch in Southern California.

Tyson is legally growing his own cannabis from a $44 million (£35 million) mansion in Desert Hot Springs.

The weed resort is actually owned by an LA-based luxury real estate developer, who Tyson teamed up with to make his 'dream' happen.