Everything you need to know about Swiss cannabis

The most widely used drug in the world, cannabis, is also the most commonly seized substance globally, since it's still illegal in most countries.

At the end of the 1970s, global cannabis use hit a temporary peak, mainly because more teens and young adults started using it. In the years that followed, the drug became even more well-known and is now widespread among people in Switzerland.

Because of the Swiss stereotype of being workaholics and law-abiding, hardworking citizens, a lot of people still underestimate how common cannabis use is in Switzerland. These kinds of prejudices have led to the stubborn belief that only a few Swiss people use cannabis.

However, estimates say that in 2018, there were about half a million active cannabis users in Switzerland. That’s more than six percent of the Swiss population.

Because of this high number, Switzerland has taken legal and political steps. Laws have been put in place for a legal market to fight cannabis smuggling and other misuse of the drug in the country.

Possession of Cannabis in Switzerland: What’s Legal and What’s Not?

Until the late 1990s, anyone in Switzerland could legally grow cannabis because of a loophole in the law, as long as they were of legal age. But in 2002, when Switzerland joined the UN, growing cannabis became a criminal offense. At that time, the substance was widespread around the world, including in the mountainous, central European country.

After years of pressure from Swiss cannabis legalization groups, the government decided to legalize cannabis with less than one percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Possession of small amounts—up to ten grams—for personal use is not prosecuted, though the substance can still be confiscated. If you’re caught with more than that, you can still get a flat fine of 100 Swiss francs.

Despite the fine, decriminalization was a big step for Switzerland toward legalizing cannabis, since in many other European countries the legal THC limit is 0.2 percent (two grams).

Medical Use of Swiss Cannabis

Swiss cannabis as a medicine can only be prescribed to patients with a doctor’s prescription if the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) grants a special permit for the medical use of banned narcotics.

To get such a permit, the doctor has to apply for it with the patient’s consent if the patient wants to undergo the treatment. The permit to buy cannabis as a medical drug is valid for up to 12 months. There are only two pharmacies in all of Switzerland that are allowed to sell cannabis tinctures and cannabis oil concentrates to patients with serious or incurable illnesses.

Even though there’s no explicit rule in the current law for medical use, in practice it’s unlikely that medical use will be prosecuted.

So, patients who only need Swiss cannabis with CBD can get it for medical purposes at any Swiss cannabis shop.

But keep in mind that health insurance in Switzerland doesn’t cover the cost of cannabis for medical use. So, patients have to pay for it themselves.

Buying and Selling Cannabis in Switzerland

In Switzerland, most people don’t have much trouble finding cannabis on the black market. But if you want to buy cannabis up to the legal limit, it’s much easier to do so at one of about 140 cannabis shops in the 26 cantons of Switzerland.

Swiss Cannabis Social Clubs

Many cannabis users in Switzerland have already heard of the so-called Cannabis Social Club—a model for legally regulating the cannabis market.

The Swiss cities of Zurich, Basel, Bern, and Geneva tried in 2016 to start a pilot cannabis club to see if it could help get rid of the drug’s black market. The cities planned to include a total of 2,000 members in the pilot project over four years.

But a year later, the Federal Office of Public Health shut them down, arguing there was no legal basis for setting up such clubs.

The attempt to change the law through a motion signed by members of both chambers of parliament was rejected by the National Council. So, for now, Swiss cannabis social clubs are just an idea on paper.

Bringing Cannabis into Switzerland

Swiss citizens can legally bring cannabis products with less than one percent THC into the country.

The rules change depending on two factors related to the imported product: 1. Whether the import is for personal or commercial use, and 2. what type of product it is—flowers, seeds, extracts, oils, food, cosmetics, etc.

The Federal Customs Administration decides, as the responsible authority, whether you’re allowed to bring a certain cannabis-based product into Switzerland.

Importing Cannabis-Based Medicines into Switzerland

The only medical product containing THC that can legally be brought into Switzerland is Sativex—a licensed product that contains both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

Just like other medicines containing banned substances in Switzerland, Sativex can be brought in for a maximum treatment period of one month.