Switzerland might be taking a big leap forward in drug legalization soon. The Swiss capital, Bern, is considering legalizing the possession of Cocaine. It is currently in a pilot scheme to sell the drug for recreational use in the city as well. Bern’s Governing council has yet to approve the scheme.
Currently, they are in an ongoing trial in the city that allows cannabis to be sold in pharmacies. Bern’s Government supports the scheme but will need a change in Swiss national law to move forward. According to Reuters, Switzerland has one of the highest levels of cocaine use in Europe with the price of the drug dropping in the last five years by half.
It has also been reported that 70% to 80% of all cocaine sold in the country is in the top percentile of global purity. Some officials have noted it as the “highest quality ever seen.” Eva Chen, a member of the Bern council from the Alternative Left Party who has co-sponsored the proposal had this to say:
“The war on drugs has failed, and we have to look at new ideas. Control and legalization can do better than mere repression. We are still far away from potential legalization, but we should look at new approaches. We are calling for a scientifically supervised pilot scheme trial.”
Bern government has warned about cocaine usage and states it is life-threatening. In other European nations such as Spain, Italy, and Portugal, people in possession of cocaine are no longer sentenced to prison.
Will Switzerland see a boost in tourism if it is fully legalized? Stay tuned.
