The pilot study recently received final approval and is anticipated to last five years.
Recently approved by Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health, a new pilot study, called “Grashaus Projects,” will test the regulated sale and effects on society of cannabis for recreational purposes (1). It will be a combined effort of the Swiss Institute for Addiction and Health Research (ISGF) and Sanity Group, a medical cannabis company based in Germany (2). According to the press release from Sanity Group (1), this study will be the sixth project involving cannabis to be approved in Switzerland.
The study will reportedly run for five years, is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2023, and will involve up to 3950 participants (1). After potential participants are screened and accepted into the study, they will receive a participation card to legally obtain cannabis (1). Every three to six months afterward, surveys on participants’ consumption habits and health will take place (1). Additionally, the effects on public safety will be analyzed with assistance from the public prosecutor’s office (1).
“The insights gained from the study can contribute to an informed health policy discussion on the responsible use of cannabis and serve as a basis for decisions on long-term regulation,” said Dr. Michael Schaub, Scientific Director of the ISGF and study leader (1). “In addition, we want to investigate whether we can gain better access to high-risk users with, for example, mental health problems, in order to refer them to appropriate cantonal care centers.”
The cannabis products will be obtained by participants from two dispensary stores, both located in the northern canton of Basel-Landschaft and will sell products such as flowers, extracts, and edibles (1). Previous cannabis pilot studies dispensed cannabis through pharmacies or clubs (1). The cannabis will be cultivated and produced by Swiss cultivator SwissExtract (1).
Registration for the study can be found here.
References
Ep 27: Tracking Strains in Diverse Landscapes
July 2nd 2025In this latest installment of Noid Knowledge, we are joined by Daniela Vergara, PhD, Hemp Specialist at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Anna Schwabe, PhD, Associate Lecture Professor at the University of Colorado, discussing the evolution of cannabis cultivation and the need for regional climate data. Their recent project, funded by the Agricultural Genomics Foundation, studies 10 cannabis varieties grown by farmers in different regions, specifically plant characteristics, soil type, and harvest metrics. They aim to understand how environmental factors affect cannabis yield and quality, providing actionable insights for farmers and breeders.
Ep 26: Innovations in Drying and Curing to Protect Flower Quality
May 27th 2025In this latest installment of Noid Knowledge, we are joined by Dr. Allison Justice, Founder and CEO of the Hemp Mine, and David Sandelman COO, CTO & Co-Founder of Cannatrol. Here, Allison and David discuss innovations in cannabis drying and curing, focusing on the Cannatrol technology which controls vapor pressure, preserving trichome integrity, and flower quality. Additionally, Allison shares how the Cannabis Research Center and Coalition (CRC) is transition to an open-source model to support cultivators, researchers, and home growers.
The Rise of Indigenous Cannabis
June 30th 2025Tribal governments throughout the US are developing cannabis and hemp regulations to cultivate, process, and sell cannabis products to tribal members and non-members alike. Each tribe has its own approach to navigating this space, with independent indigenous entrepreneurs expanding opportunities outside the reservation.