Regular cannabis users given legal access to regulated products through pharmacies are moving away from smoking and towards less harmful ways of taking cannabis, according to interim findings from a randomised trial led by researchers at the University of Bern.

The Safer Cannabis Research in Pharmacies Trial (SCRIPT) followed 1,177 regular cannabis users across Bern, Biel and Lucerne for six months. Researchers randomly split the group, with 588 given immediate access to buy regulated products from participating pharmacies while the remaining 589 carried on sourcing cannabis as they normally would, before gaining pharmacy access themselves at the six-month mark

The results show a significant shift in consumption patterns: In the group with pharmacy access, the proportion smoking cannabis dropped from 78% to 58% over six months. Meanwhile, the control group saw virtually no change, remaining at around 82%.

“The majority of study participants consumed cannabis exclusively by smoking at the start of the study,” the report states. “Over the course of six months, people with access to cannabis products in pharmacies switched more frequently to smoke-free forms of consumption or combined different forms of consumption, whilst hardly any changes were observed in the control group.”

Crucially, the study found no evidence that regulated pharmacy sales increase consumption frequency. Cannabis and tobacco use remained largely stable in both groups, suggesting that regulated access does not drive higher consumption rates.

The SCRIPT scheme is designed to test how cannabis consumers respond to stringent regulation. Participating pharmacies charge prices above illegal market rates, including a simulated tax of CHF 3-4 per gramme – representing 30-50% of the final sale price depending on THC content. This makes SCRIPT’s taxation the highest among Swiss cannabis pilot projects.

Products are sold in plain packaging with standardised health warnings, modelled on Canadian regulations. Monthly purchase limits are capped at 10g of THC, with a maximum of 2g per transaction. All products adhered to a 20% THC limit.

Professor Reto Auer, who led the study, explained that the approach positions SCRIPT on “the more regulated side” of cannabis policy. The study deliberately avoided competing with the illegal market through attractive pricing or marketing, instead focusing on harm reduction within strict regulatory boundaries.

Participating pharmacies reported high satisfaction with the new customers, describing them as “patient, friendly, open and well-informed”. Several pharmacy staff said their preconceptions about cannabis users had changed positively through direct contact.

Study participants also responded favourably to the pharmacy model. After six months, 87% found purchasing cannabis in pharmacies pleasant, 71% were satisfied with staff consultations, and 79% felt sufficient privacy was maintained.

Pharmacists provided counselling on study products and safer consumption methods. Some 71% of participants reported sharing harm reduction information with others in their social circles.

Cannabis flowers accounted for roughly 65% of all sales over the two-year period. E-liquids for vaping made up 21% of purchases, whilst cannabis resin represented 11% and tinctures just 3%.

The study also analysed 127 illegal market cannabis samples provided by participants. Results showed that self-reported THC estimates were wildly inaccurate – only one person correctly assessed their sample’s THC content out of 69 tested. Some participants underestimated by up to 24 percentage points, whilst others overestimated by a similar margin.

Nine samples tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids. Most illegal market cannabis was obtained through friends or known dealers (66%), with 14% from known dealers, 11% home-grown and 9% from unknown sources including street dealers and online.

The pilot continues until 2029, with pharmacy sales extended until 31/10/2028. Researchers plan to analyse long-term effects including changes in tobacco consumption, pneumological risk factors and the prevalence of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome.

Professor Auer emphasised that whilst SCRIPT provides robust evidence about individual-level effects of regulated access, broader societal impacts – such as effects on non-users, youth, consumption norms or the illegal market – require additional data sources, including other Swiss pilot projects and international regulatory experiences.

The findings echo those from other Swiss cannabis trials, such as Zurich’s pharmacy-based pilot, Züri Can, where people reported high satisfaction with harm-reduction advice from sales staff after its first year.

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“Having dependable local access to cannabis means that those who need it most will be able to access it safely and legally.”

By Kate McKellar, Utah News Dispatch

Next week, Utah state officials will begin accepting applications to license a new independent medical cannabis pharmacy to be located in a “medically underserved” or rural area with a population that’s smaller than Salt Lake, Utah, Davis or Weber counties.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food announced in a news release Tuesday the application period will open on August 3, and it will remain open until September 2.

The application is for the second of two independent medical cannabis pharmacies required to open under HB54, a bill passed by the Utah Legislature in 2025 that, among other measures, expanded the number of medical cannabis pharmacies allowed to operate in the state, including in “medically underserved” areas.

It also aimed to create more opportunities for pharmacy operators that aren’t owned by large medical cannabis corporations.

The first independent medical cannabis pharmacy to open under the bill was Boojum in Moab. Before it opened, the nearest medical cannabis pharmacy was in Price, a nearly two-hour drive away.

Before Boojum opened this year, its chief science officer Olivia Kulunder told Moab Sun News “we were awarded this license over a two billion dollar holdings corporation from Chicago.”

“While we might not have over 150 dispensaries to our name, that means we will be pouring everything we have into this one pharmacy,” Kulunder told the outlet at the time.

Kulunder, who grew up in Castle Valley, also said the licensing board cited Boojum’s local connection as a key reason for awarding its license.

“We do know that this distance drives a lot of people to go out of state, which carries legal risks,” Kulander told Moab Sun News. “Having dependable local access to cannabis means that those who need it most will be able to access it safely and legally.”

Now it’s up to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food to decide where the next pharmacy will go.

The independent medical cannabis pharmacy will be required to operate under Utah Department of Agriculture and Food regulations “to ensure patient safety and product quality,” the department said.

To be eligible for the license, applications “must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of medical cannabis regulations, possess the necessary financial resources, and propose a secure and compliant facility,” the department said.

The following requirements must also be met:

• Independence: The new licensee must not own a financial interest in a medical cannabis pharmacy or be owned by an entity that owns any interest in or operates a medical cannabis production establishment that is owned, partially or entirely, or operated by a medical cannabis production establishment.
• Location: The new licensee shall be located in an area designated as medically underserved and in counties with populations smaller than 260,000. Eligible counties include Box Elder, Cache, Iron, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Washington, Beaver, Carbon, Duchesne, Millard, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Wasatch, Emery, Grand, Juab, Kane, Morgan, Piute, Daggett, Garfield, Rich and Wayne counties.
• Facility plan: Each applicant is required to provide a detailed layout and security plan for the proposed pharmacy.
• Operational procedures: Each applicant must provide comprehensive standard operating procedures for dispensing, inventory management, and patient consultation.
• Personnel Qualifications: Each applicant must provide information on key personnel, including pharmacists and technicians, and their qualifications.

After state officials review the applications, they’ll pick one proposed pharmacy to receive the license, which must be issued no later than January 1, 2027.

For more information on how to apply, visit the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food’s website.

This story was first published by Utah News Dispatch.

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