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

FRANÇAIS :
En Suisse le cannabis a été interdit pour la première fois en 1951 (Bundesrat, 1951). Soixante-dix ans plus tard, le monde a changé et de nombreux pays discutent publiquement si la prohibition du cannabis est la réglementation la mieux adaptée pour servir l'intérêt public. Depuis plusieurs décennies, la Suisse se penche sur cette question et de multiples tentatives ont été faites, parfois pour alléger, parfois pour durcir la réglementation Le présent projet vise à ajouter une nouvelle perspective économique et de nouvelles informations au débat. [Extrait du résumé]
ENGLISH:
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. [Editor's abstract]