According to researchers, smoking joints decreases the ability to drive less than drinking. Should the legal rate be raised? The subject should bounce back in Bern. Smoke a joint and drive? In Switzerland, these two activities are incompatible in the eyes of the law: a motorist caught under the influence of cannabis receives a license withdrawal. This severity is discriminatory compared to the treatment of impaired drivers, underlines a brand new study from Basel. Anyways, you can buy weed online in Switzerland.

Cannabis is not treated in the same way as alcohol, although on the basis of scientific evidence concerning road safety, THC (editor's note: the active principle of the plant) should be considered as causing fewer limitations. then alcohol, ”says the report, commissioned by the Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP) as part of political discussions on the launch of pilot cannabis distribution projects.

Zero tolerance These findings challenge the rule of "zero tolerance" for drugs. Today, a driver is considered unable to get behind the wheel when they have more than 1.5 micrograms (mg/ml) of THC in their blood. He then commits a serious offense.

This limit is a technical threshold beyond which a laboratory can consider that the substance is present in the blood. "Very quickly reached," according to OFSP, can be exceeded even when consuming legal low THC cannabis.

For alcohol, the allowable rate is 0.5 ‰. Whoever exceeds this value receives a warning or loses his "blue" if he has also committed another offense. It is only from 0.8 ‰ that the infringement is considered serious: the license is withdrawn in all cases. Exception: New drivers are subject to a total ban on driving under the influence of alcohol.

"A joint smoker ignores the amount of THC in his product."

Marina Kaempf, Head of Communications at the Federal Roads Office To conclude that there is discrimination against cannabis, researchers at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Basel sifted through the international scientific literature and compared the actual influence of alcohol and THC on driver capabilities. The analysis allows them to state that the limitations observed with 0.5 ‰ of alcohol are manifested from a concentration of 3 to 4.1 mg/ml of THC. That is to say, at least twice the currently accepted value.

Another finding: motorists with a THC concentration in the blood of less than 5 mg/ml do not have a higher risk of an accident than drivers who have not consumed the product, say the scientists.

Hundreds of withdrawals How many people have lost their “bruise” because THC was in their body? Statistics do not distinguish between the type of narcotic that led to such a sanction. However, cannabis remains the most common illegal active substance in road traffic, according to the Basel report.

In 2019, the Canton of Vaud has withdrawn licenses for driving under the influence of a narcotic drug on 448 occasions (including 34 following an accident); in Geneva, there were 156 (including 31 accidents). The Vaud and Geneva authorities have also decided on indefinite withdrawal for dependence on 146 and 98 times, respectively.

Across the country in the same year, 4,762 fixed term withdrawals were pronounced for driving under the influence of drugs - including 325 with accidents. In comparison, the measure was taken for driving while intoxicated 13,128 times, including 3,208 involving an accident.

The authors formulate three avenues for regulating driving under the influence of cannabis. One plans to double the current allowable rate. The other establishes a tiered system: when the lower threshold is crossed, an administrative measure could be decided. A person is considered unable to drive when the upper limit is exceeded. These two diets give narcotic treatment similar to that of alcohol.

A political choice The third option would be to maintain zero tolerance. The study's authors refrain from giving their opinion on the model to follow: the answer is a political choice. They stress, however, that the status quo would amount to accepting penalties for many people whose driving abilities were not impaired. Could the study lead to the abandonment of zero tolerance? Such a change falls within the competence of the Federal Council, replies the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). The latter seems reluctant to such a scenario. He sees several "real difficulties", including that for the driver to determine the amount of THC he has consumed.

"An alcohol user knows when to stop drinking, if he wants to stay below the limit, a stoner doesn't know how much THC is in his THC vape oil.

Marina Kaempf, spokesperson for the Federal Roads Office "An alcohol user knows when to stop drinking, if he wants to stay below the limit value, a joint smoker ignores the amount of THC contained in his product," explains Marina Kaempf, spokesperson at the 'OFROU. Given the "political importance of the subject," an amendment would pass through parliament, she added.

National Councilor Léonore Porchet (Verts / VD) announces that she will undoubtedly question the Federal Council on the Basel conclusions during the next parliamentary session in March.