In 2012, Switzerland decriminalised possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis for personal use.

The Federal Act on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (NarcA) is the official document relating to the control of cannabis. An amendment to this act was passed in 2011 by popular vote, allowing for the use of cannabis for medical purposes under special authorisation from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) on a case-by-case basis. Medical cannabis authorisations lasted for six months up until 2017, for a year from 2017 and for up to two years from 2021.

In June 2022, Switzerland’s Federal Council lifted the ban on cannabis for medical purposes by amending the Swiss Narcotics Act that parliament approved in March 2021. From August 1, 2022, patients can get medical cannabis through a medical prescription without any exceptional permit from the FOPH.

Switzerland has a relatively small population of patients at just over 3,000, the overall value of sales in the country is comparable to the larger markets on the continent. The country has progressive cannabis policies when compared to many of its European neighbours. In Switzerland, cannabis and hemp products can legally contain up to 1% THC, compared to the standard 0.2% seen across the rest of the continent. According to the FOPH and Addiction Monitoring Switzerland, approximately 7.7% of the population used cannabis at least once during the last 12 months, and 4% in the last 30 days.

On 15 May 2021, the amendment to the NarcA has come into effect allowing pilot testing of the controlled dispensing of cannabis for recreational purposes. The amendment will remain in effect for ten years, provides the legal basis for the implementation of local and time-limited scientific pilot trials with cannabis. Applications to conduct such trials can be submitted to the Federal Office of Public Health. The rollout of legalised adult-use cannabis was delayed due to the pandemic and started in September 2022. Multiple trials will be carried out across different cities. Each trial is meant for a limited number of citizens who already consume cannabis. Trials will be run by individual municipalities which can each supply up to 5,000 consumers at most. The purpose of the trials is to study the effects of legal access to cannabis for users in terms of health and socio-economic metrics. Volunteers will only be able to purchase personal amounts for a month’s supply. Cannabis must be both domestically and organically produced. Local manufacturers must have a production permit from the Federal Office of Public Health, ensuring quality standards.

In June 2022, the University of Geneva published a study estimating that the total economic effect of legalisation in Switzerland would generate an annual income of around 1 billion CHF and create about 4,400 full-time jobs.

Switzerland  Cannabis Market Infographics