Green-party parliamentarian demands answers from government

Andreas Lustenberger, a parliamentarian of the Alternative Green Party who represents Baar, is tabling a number of questions he would like the cantonal government to answer in relation to the possible legalisation of cannabis, for which a national initiative is being organised.
 
If successful, this initiative would lead to cannabis products being able to be consumed without fear of prosecution, the necessary legislation set out in the Constitution, too. Furthermore, people would have the right to grow cannabis plants if they so wished and be able to make various products from them for their own use, again without fear of prosecution. However, the passing on of such products to those under the age of 18 would remain illegal. At present, no signatures are being collected in support of this campaign as the necessary resources are not yet available 
 
In particular, Lustenberger would like to know what advantages the cantonal government saw if cannabis were legalised, bearing in mind this would lead to an end of the black market in the product. What was the government’s policy regarding the possibility of the state deriving an income from the sales of it, just as it did in the case of tobacco and alcohol? Indeed, he wanted to know why certain intoxicating substances were able to be consumed legally, yet the production and use of (certain) cannabis products remained illegal in Switzerland.
He also wanted to know about the level of costs involved in the Zug police carrying out checks in drug-related investigations.
 
Then he wanted the government to clarify the situation with regard to any black market relating to drugs in the canton. Was the government aware of any mafia-style organisation in this regard?
 
For his part, the Green politician would support the canton levying a tax on cannabis-related products, except those needed for medicinal purposes.
 
At present the consumption of “normal” cannabis is forbidden in all cantons, though the police in a number of them turn a blind eye to possession of up to 10 grammes of the drug.
 
It was only recently that Lustenberger tabled questions in relation to the cost of the Zug police participating in security measures at the annual World Economic Forum held in Davos (second photograph) in the canton of Graubünden, in which all cantons, and occasionally the principality of Liechtenstein, are involved. In its reply, the cantonal government said that costs of CHF 107,000 had arisen and that, in recent years, there had been a 30% reduction in the amount of support Zug had been expected to provide with regard to security there. The cantonal government also took this opportunity to point out that it made no financial contribution to the WEF organisation itself.