Switzerland changes law to decriminalise marijuana possession

[webnise]

Anyone caught with up to 10 grams of the drug will be let off with a CHF
100 (68) fine and it will not go on their criminal record


A change to the law in Switzerland has decriminalised marijuana, making possession of the drug a minor misdemeanour that will not go on a person’s criminal record.


From the start of this month, anyone found with up to 10 grams of the substance will be able to avoid all formal legal proceedings, instead paying an on-the-spot fine of CHF 100 (around 68).


The relaxation of the law comes after a lengthy process of debate and disagreement in the Swiss parliament, which finally approved the move a year ago.


According to reports in the state-run Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), the government in Switzerland says the move should bring unity to legal practices which until now varied wildly from one local system to another.


It is also expected to save money, avoiding the average of 30,000 cases for smoking marijuana that appear before the courts each year.


Corine Kibora, a spokeswoman for Addiction Switzerland, told SBC: “Police resources should be freed up to pursue drug trafficking.”
The changes are conversely designed to clamp down on cannabis smoking among children.


A report by Unicef into the welfare of children from 29 developed countries found that Switzerland had the second-highest rate of cannabis use amongst those surveyed, behind only Canada.


Around 24 per cent of all children aged 11, 13 and 15 reported having used cannabis in the last 12 months in the country.


And while the revision does not apply to anyone under 18, against whom legal proceedings can still be brought alongside judge-imposed fines, Ms Kibora explained there are new measures in place to better protect them.


Dealers selling to young people will be more strictly punished and children with problematic cannabis use should be able to get expert help more easily, she said.


Not everyone is happy with the change. Opponents say decriminalisation is happening too quickly and at odds with the will of the Swiss public, given the fact that five years ago they voted against a government proposal for legalisation, and four years before that parliament wouldn’t even debate the issue.


Others think that measures could have gone further – Jean-Flix Savary, secretary-general of Grea, a group studying drug addiction in French-speaking Switzerland, told SBC: “It's not a revolution – overall the approach remains hesitant and conservative. Considerable police resources will still be used to ensure this ban is respected.”


Switzerland’s approach to cannabis is considerably more lenient than the UK’s – where it is a Class B drug, possession of which is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. In practice, official written warnings tend to be used for first and second offences.


But it is not the most relaxed in Europe - in 2001 Portugal became the first country in the world to decriminalise all drugs, as long as the amount possessed is no more than an estimated 10 days' supply.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...criminalise-marijuana-possession-8856308.html

 

[SMAAS]

Great, Moujaan :You_Rock_Emoticon::banana::banana::banana::banana :

 

[faheem13]

Marijuana should be legal. No one has ever in the whole history died because of it..........high and stoned and lost some marbles....yes........but died never.
unlike alcohol or cigarettes

 

[jaanmark]

[h=2]Switzerland changes law to decriminalize marijuana possession well done they needed that whole nation is on drags one or other kinds of drags.[/h]

Anyone caught with up to 10 grams of the drug will be let off with a CHF
100 (68) fine and it will not go on their criminal record and other crimes also bring black money from Pakistan. ect ect ect ​

 

[tz00007]

good move.....

 

[Night_Hawk]

Questions and Answers About Cannabis

• What is Cannabis?Cannabis , also known as marijuana, is a plant from Central Asia that is grown in many parts of the world today. In the United States, it is a controlled substance and has been classified as a Schedule I agent (a drug with increased potential for abuse and no known medical use).
  By federal law, possessing Cannabis (marijuana), is illegal in the United States.
• What are cannabinoids?Cannabinoids are active chemicals in Cannabis that cause drug-like effects throughout the body, including the central nervous system and the immune system. They are also known as phytocannabinoids. The main active cannabinoid in Cannabis is delta-9-THC. Another active cannabinoid is cannabidiol, which may relieve pain and lower inflammation without causing the "high" of delta-9-THC.
  Cannabinoids may be useful in treating the side effects of cancer and cancer treatment.
  Other possible effects of cannabinoids include:
  
  • Anti-inflammatory activity.
  • Blocking cell growth.
  • Preventing the growth of blood vessels that supply tumors.
  • Antiviral activity.
• What is the history of the medical use of Cannabis?The use of Cannabis for medicinal purposes dates back at least 3,000 years. It came into use inWestern medicine in the 19th century and was said to relieve pain, inflammation, spasms, andconvulsions.
  In 1937, the U.S. Treasury began taxing Cannabis under the Marijuana Tax Act at one dollar perounce for medicinal use and one hundred dollars per ounce for recreational use. The American Medical Association (AMA) opposed this regulation of Cannabis and did not want studies of its potential medicinal benefits to be limited. In 1942, Cannabis was removed from the U.S.Pharmacopoeia because of continuing concerns about its safety. In 1951, Congress passed the Boggs Act, which included Cannabis with narcotic drugs for the first time.
  Under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD, mescaline, methaqualone, and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB).
  Although Cannabis was not believed to have any medicinal use, the U.S. government distributed it to patients on a case-by-case basis under the Compassionate Use Investigational New Drug (IND) program between 1978 and 1992.
  In the past 20 years, researchers have studied how cannabinoids act on the brain and other parts of the body. Cannabinoid receptors (molecules that bind cannabinoids) have been discovered in brain cells and nerve cells in other parts of the body. The presence of cannabinoid receptors on immune system cells suggests that cannabinoids may have a role in immunity.
• If Cannabis is illegal, how do some cancer patients in the United States use it?Though federal law prohibits the use of Cannabis, the table below lists the localities that allow its use for certain medical conditions.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/patient/page2