From Pilot Projects to Legislation: Switzerland as a Cannabis Policy Lab

Medical cannabis: legal, but still a limited market

Medical cannabis has been easier to access in Switzerland since August 2022. Physicians can prescribe cannabis-based medicines without requiring exceptional authorisation from the Federal Office of Public Health. This removed an important regulatory barrier. (Federal Office of Public Health) In practice, however, access remains limited: cannabis-based medicines are only reimbursed by mandatory health insurance in exceptional cases. There is still no broad reimbursement pathway.

In Germany, reimbursement has also become significantly more restrictive: under the GKV Contribution Rate Stabilisation Act, cannabis flower has been removed from statutory health insurance coverage (Cannabis Briefing 16.07.2026). Even so, the German market continues to differ from Switzerland. Since 2024, medical cannabis in Germany is no longer classified as a narcotic, which has made prescribing easier. The market also grew much more strongly over many years, as statutory reimbursement had been an important driver since 2017.

As a result, Switzerland’s medical cannabis market remains comparatively small and more case-by-case. The greater regulatory momentum is currently not in the medical sector, but in the question of how Switzerland intends to regulate non-medical cannabis use in the future.

Pilot projects as the basis for regulation

Since May 2021, Switzerland’s Narcotics Act has allowed local, time-limited pilot projects for the controlled distribution of cannabis. Their purpose is to generate evidence for future legislation. (Federal Office of Public Health) These projects are not legalisation in the conventional sense. They are research projects with clear rules: participants are registered, products are dispensed under controlled conditions, and consumption patterns are scientifically monitored. At the same time, different access models are being tested, including pharmacies, non-profit points of sale and social clubs. In Germany, Federal Drug Commissioner Hendrik Streeck recently signalled openness to similar scientifically monitored pilot projects. So far, however, no such projects have been approved in Germany. (DAZ)

This is what makes the Swiss approach so relevant for Germany. While Germany is still debating model projects, Switzerland is already gathering real-world evidence on how controlled access, youth protection, product control and scientific monitoring can work together.

The Cannabis Products Act: controlled access, not a free market

Building on these pilot projects, Switzerland is now working on a new Cannabis Products Act. Last late summer, the National Council’s Committee for Social Security and Health presented a draft proposal that would allow adults legal access to cannabis (Cannabis Briefing 11.07.2025). The consultation process has now been completed and the results show that while there is still political momentum behind regulation, the path forward remains complex.

Cannabis would continue to be classified as a narcotic. The draft includes maximum possession and distribution limits, a ban on sales to minors, a comprehensive advertising ban, neutral packaging, clear product labelling and a separation between production and retail. Limited home cultivation would also be permitted. (Swiss Parliament)

Sales would be organised on a non-profit basis. Cantons would be able to license points of sale, with any profits earmarked for prevention, harm reduction and addiction services. Online sales remain controversial: the federal government would be able to grant a single online licence, but only under strict registration and youth protection requirements.

Consultation process: support, but many unresolved questions

The responses to the Cannabis Products Act were mixed. Parts of the expert community, municipalities and organisations working in addiction prevention broadly support the regulated approach. Politically, there is also support for the proposal’s focus on public health, youth protection and prevention.

At the same time, the consultation exposed clear points of tension. Many cantons criticised the expected administrative and enforcement burden, as well as what they see as insufficient financing. The high level of regulation, the role of online sales and the timing of the proposal were also questioned. Some stakeholders want to wait for more results from the ongoing pilot projects; others consider the model too restrictive or reject legalisation altogether.

Financing remains one of the most sensitive issues. The draft provides for a steering levy based on THC content and the health risk of each product. The revenue would help finance enforcement, prevention and harm reduction. Several cantons, however, are calling for a more robust financing model, such as an excise or steering tax. Such a tax could require a constitutional amendment and therefore a popular vote. (Swiss Parliament)

Outlook: revision, not a halt

In early May, the responsible committee of the National Council decided to continue work on the proposal. It referred the draft back to the subcommittee for revision, with a particular focus on youth protection, regulatory density, enforcement, financing and the role of the cantons. (Swiss Parliament)

A rapid implementation is therefore unlikely. After the revision, the proposal will return to committee deliberations before moving through the National Council and the Council of States. The final law could also be subject to an optional referendum.

For Germany, Switzerland remains an important reference case. Germany has already implemented partial legalisation, while pilot projects have yet to materialise. Switzerland is taking the opposite approach: first testing controlled access models under scientific supervision, then using those findings to shape a national legal framework. This evidence-led process is what makes the Swiss debate relevant far beyond Switzerland itself.

Any other questions?

Do you have specific questions or suggestions for the Cannabis Briefing? Then send us an email to briefing@www.cansativa.de. If you are interested in revolutionising the cannabis industry with us, then stay tuned and follow our briefings!

We wish you a good read!

Best wishes from both of us,