The economic effects of Cannabis in Switzerland

About 56 tons of cannabis (marihuana and resin) are consumed in Switzerland annually. IRS - A study conducted by the UNIGE and the consulting firm EBP reveals that the entire Cannabis system in Switzerland generates an annual turnover of one billion francs. Cannabis generates an annual turnover of around one billion Swiss Francs. This sum does not only contain production, import and trade in the shadow economy but also legal economic activity such as policing, the judicial system, social work and healthcare. A study from the University of Geneva investigated the economic effects of the current form of regulation in-depth and shows: alternative regulation could significantly change the status quo. Cannabis was first prohibited in Switzerland in 1951. Seventy years later, the world has changed, and many countries are discussing as to whether prohibition is a policy best suited to serve the public interest.