The Cann-L pilot project sells 10 kg of cannabis monthly

Launched a year ago, the Cann-L regulated cannabis sales pilot project now has 1,200 participants in Lausanne. According to a report from the authorities, the first results are positive and “encouraging in terms of risk reduction”.

“After a year, we have reached 1,200 people who now consume controlled products and who benefit from advice on their consumption. In November, more than 10 kg of cannabis were sold, which is already almost 15% of the volume consumed in Lausanne,” rejoices Émilie Moeschler, municipal official in charge of sports and social cohesion, quoted Wednesday in a press release from the City of Lausanne.

“This represents the annual equivalent of one million francs of market share that escapes illegal trade. Furthermore, so far no incident linked to Cann-L has been reported to me by the police,” adds his colleague Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand, in charge of security and the economy.

Vaporization on the rise

Based on questionnaires completed after six months by 810 people, the first results of the study show a stable average quantity of cannabis consumed. More than a quarter of products sold as herbs/flowers have a THC level of less than 10%, which is significantly lower than the illegal market.

In addition, the number of people who vaporize cannabis is on the rise, which reduces the risks associated with smoke and tobacco. Finally, 38 people spontaneously contacted the referring doctor at the CHUV for advice or help. These results are linked to the information and awareness work carried out by the sales team. The study also indicates high satisfaction with staff.

Product quality

The point of sale offers a range of products grown locally on organic farms. “On the black market, people often do not know what they are consuming and it is therefore difficult for them to make choices to protect their health. Cann-L allows this, through quality controls and advice, but also through products with differentiated THC levels,” explains Frank Zobel, deputy director of Addiction Suisse, which leads the scientific aspect of the project.

A group of experts (toxicologists, doctors, etc.) on product safety has also been set up. Cann-L also supports a study initiated by the Bernese pilot project on the safety of future e-liquids with THC.

The point of sale has already been self-financing since March. “Future profits generated by the point of sale will be used for projects in the areas of risk reduction, monitoring of participants, prevention and security,” recalls Émilie Moeschler.

Registrations still possible

Cann-L remains accessible to all adults who reside in Lausanne and who already consume cannabis. In order to avoid excessively long waits, new registration slots are now open every two weeks on the Cann-l.ch website. If they are already full, you will simply have to wait for the next slot to open to register.

The point of sale opened on December 11, 2023 at rue du Maupas. The Lausanne participants come from different social and cultural backgrounds. They are aged from 18 to 80 years old (average 37 years old). The majority are men (77%) and generally in employment (67%) or training (10%). At the start of the project, 70% of people had been using cannabis for more than 10 years and more than half did it every day or almost.

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