Switzerland (Jurisdiction Profile)
Jurisdiction Identity
Cannabis Framework
| Dimension |
Status |
| Adult-use possession |
Not legal generally (small-quantity enforcement discretion varies by canton) |
| Adult-use cultivation |
Not legal generally |
| Adult-use commercial supply |
Only within authorized scientific pilot trials (regulated sales to enrolled participants) |
| Medical access |
Cannabis-based medicines by prescription (narcotics-law revision 2022; doctor prescription without special authorization since 2024 under the revised framework) |
| Pharmaceutical cannabinoid access |
Swissmedic-registered cannabis-based medicines |
| Home cultivation |
Prohibited |
| Import/export |
Regulated; import of medical cannabis per narcotics law |
| Hemp relationship |
Hemp ≤1.0% THC not subject to narcotics law (low-THC products legal) |
Regulatory Overview
Switzerland has authorized scientific pilot trials for regulated adult-use cannabis under a 2021 legal amendment: the Federal Office of Public Health has approved about seven trials (Zürich’s Züri Can is the flagship; ≈10,400 adults enrolled across trials as of mid-2025). Zürich’s trial was extended to October 2028. Medical cannabis has been available by prescription under the 2022 narcotics-law revision. Hemp with ≤1.0% THC is not regulated as a narcotic.
Regulatory History
- 2011: Narcotics Act revision (cannabis pilot-trial provision).
- 2021: Implementing ordinance (Verordnung Pilotversuche) permits authorized trials.
- 2022: Narcotics-law revision allows medical cannabis by prescription.
- 2023–2026: Trials running in Basel, Zürich, Bern, Geneva, and others; Zürich extended to October 2028.
Licensing Structure
- Pilot trials: canton-approved, BAG-authorized; sales through pharmacies/designated outlets to enrolled adult participants with quantity/quality limits.
- Medical: prescribed cannabis medicines from licensed pharmacies; no producer licensing register made public in the pilot context.
Laboratory / Quality Framework
- Pilot-trial product quality is monitored per trial protocols (analysis, contaminant limits).
- Medical cannabis follows Swissmedic pharmaceutical quality standards.
- Trial evaluations are published; no public per-batch COA database located.
Data Surface
| Data surface |
Available? |
Official source |
Machine-readable? |
Notes |
| License registry |
partial |
BAG trial overview page |
no |
Trial list published; no API |
| Testing-laboratory registry |
no public source located |
— |
— |
No distinct public list located |
| Laboratory testing rules |
yes |
Pilot-trial ordinance + trial protocols |
no |
Codified requirements |
| Contaminant/action limits |
yes |
Trial protocols |
no |
Set in standards |
| Recalls/advisories |
no public source located |
— |
— |
No structured feed located |
| Product/package identifiers |
no public source located |
— |
— |
Trial-internal tracking |
| COAs/batch results |
no public source located |
— |
— |
Not public |
| Sales data |
partial |
Trial evaluation reports |
partial |
Züri Can reported ≈88,000 transactions / ≈750 kg |
| Open-data downloads |
no public source located |
— |
— |
No cannabis open-data portal located |
Future Ingestion Opportunities
- Trial evaluation reports (BAG/Züri Can) — aggregate records and comparative data for pilot frameworks.
- Monitor federal legalization referendum/political developments (2026–2028) — high-volatility page for the refresh queue.
Sources & Provenance
Graph Connections
No existing repository entities are linked to Switzerland. The page is discoverable from the Jurisdictions index.