The Swiss government has approved plans to legalise the consumption and sale of cannabis in Zurich in a trial that will assess the economic and health benefits of regulating supply of the recreational drug.

As part of a three-and-a-half-year scientific study starting this summer, 2,100 residents of Switzerland’s biggest city will be able to buy regulated doses of cannabis for personal use if they agree to answer a questionnaire every six months on their consumption habits and health.

Some European authorities are looking to emulate US states in moving towards the liberalisation of laws on cannabis consumption. In Germany, the government unveiled plans for the nationwide legalisation of the drug — with strict conditions — last October. There is still no clear timeframe for the legislation in Germany to be enacted.