Cannabis in the Swiss economy. Economic effects of current and alternate regulation in Switzerland

Oliver Hoff

2022, numéro 58

ISBN: 978-2-940386-68-0

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Lire aussi: HOFF, Oliver (2022), Cannabis in der Schweizer Volkswirtschaft. Ökonomische Effekte aktueller und alternativer Regulierung, Zürich: Seismo.

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. The author analyses the economic effects caused by the cannabis system under the current regulation in Switzerland. Subsequently, alternative regulatory scenarios based on the experiences of other countries are constructed and their potential economic effects in Switzerland are investigated. The author concludes, that the current form of regulation produces an economically inefficient result. Economic actors operating illegally profit through artificially inflated profit margins while public health aims are being missed through the lack of regulatory access. Alternative regulatory approaches offer interesting chances to address these issues but also come with risks that need to be taken into account when considering future forms of cannabis regulation.