Switzerland’s “Weed Care” pilot, which was set to be the first-ever THC adult-use cannabis trial in Europe, will now start on January 30 2023 after a four-month delay.
This groundbreaking study, which is expected to pave the way for more adult-use cannabis trials in Switzerland and Europe, has been reinstated after a second batch of cannabis was approved for use.
The trial, which will be conducted in various European countries, and aims to assess the safety of THC-containing cannabis and the effects on the black market .
It will involve both THC oils and flower, and the results of the trial will be used to guide future regulatory decisions on the sale of THC-containing cannabis in Europe.
What took so long?
The Weed Care pilot was originally scheduled to begin in Basel, the third largest city in Switzerland, on September 15 and was set to run until March 2025.
But, just days before the study was due to begin, Basel city’s health department announced that the cannabis did not meet a quality standard specified in the Ordinance on Pilot Trials under the Narcotics Act.
The levels of fluopyram were within the limits for consumption of conventional food, and the strict guidelines of the legislation required the destruction of the 30kg batch, ultimately placing the trial on hold.
An analysis of the first batch of cannabis revealed the presence of 0.1-0.2 parts per million of fluopyram, a pesticide that is not approved for organic cultivation, believed to have come from contaminated soil in the greenhouse used where the cannabis was cultivated.
No more hurdles
According to the original plan, Pure will supply four cannabis flower products and two hashish products to selected pharmacies in Basel, which will be available for purchase starting on January 30, 2023.
So far, approximately 340 of the total 370 participants have been signed up for the study, with the remaining 30 expected to be enrolled before the start date.
One of the researchers, Mr Cereghetti, stated that while he does not foresee any more obstacles for the project to proceed, the study is called an “experimental article by accident” for a reason.
He suggested that the study’s entire approach was to gather evidence in order to create a better regulatory system, and that this delay will ‘provide the first learnings for large-scale regulation afterwards’.
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