High-CBD Cannabis Being Sold as a Tobacco Substitute in Switzerland
A gardening company in Switzerland has found a way to sell its high-CBD cannabis flower by registering it as a tobacco substitute. The strain, called Fedora, is reportedly grown by Bio Can and is 7.2 percent CBD, with only 0.04 percent THC. Apparently, the strain is selling for 25 francs (or $23 U.S. dollars) for 10 grams. Because of those percentages, the strain meets the requirements set by the Swiss Narcotic Act, as well as currently existing food laws.
Bio Can claims that it doesn’t need any further permission to begin distributing, since it’s product has low THC content. “The product contains all the active ingredients of cannabis, including the calming effect of the cannabinoid CBD, without being intoxicating,” stated Bio Can Director Dario Tobler.
However, the strain has still garnered unwanted attention from the Zurich City Police. Leafly states that since the smell of THC-rich and CBD-rich strains are very similar, that something illegal is afoot. In Switzerland, either being caught with consuming cannabis in public, or possessing up to 10 grams, will result in a 100 franc fine. A Zurich police spokesperson stated that consumers who receive a citation can object to it, and then the police will confiscate the cannabis for further testing. If it has less than one percent THC, it will be returned to the owner. However, if it’s more, the consumer will have to pay for the analysis as well as the original fine.
