CBD and driving in Switzerland: THC limit in the blood

There is no separate limit for CBD and driving in Switzerland. What matters is THC: if THC of 1.5 µg per litre or more is measured in the blood of a person at the wheel, that person is considered unfit to drive under the law. Because CBD products may contain up to just under 1% total THC, this value can also be reached after CBD products. Whether you feel fit to drive plays no role for the limit.

CBD and driving in Switzerland: the statutory basis

The rules are set out in three enactments that build on each other:

• The Road Traffic Act (SVG, SR 741.01) states in Art. 31 para. 2 that no one may drive a vehicle who is unfit to drive because of narcotics or for other reasons.
• The Traffic Rules Ordinance (VRV, SR 741.11) provides in Art. 2 para. 2: unfitness to drive is considered proven if tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis) is detected in the blood. CBD is not on this list.
• The FEDRO Ordinance on the Road Traffic Control Ordinance (VSKV-ASTRA, SR 741.013.1) sets out in Art. 34 let. a when THC counts as detected: at 1.5 µg/L of blood or more.

Versions in force: SVG 1 July 2026, VRV 1 October 2026, VSKV-ASTRA 1 January 2022. The rule applies to everyone driving a vehicle, including on a bicycle.

The THC limit of 1.5 µg/L is a detection limit

The value of 1.5 µg/L does not prove impairment. In BGE 147 IV 439 (judgment 6B_282/2021 of 23 June 2021), the Federal Supreme Court stated that it is a so called limit of quantification. It indicates the concentration from which THC can be measured reliably in a blood sample. According to the judgment, there is no value for cannabis that reliably links THC in the blood with a reduced ability to drive, unlike with alcohol.

This results in a rule that comes close to zero tolerance: if the measured value is 1.5 µg/L or above, unfitness to drive is considered proven, even without further signs. The Federal Supreme Court confirmed this rule as not arbitrary.

Why CBD products can contain THC

CBD comes from hemp varieties that also form some THC alongside CBD. In Switzerland, hemp and preparations made from it only count as prohibited narcotics from a total THC content of 1.0% (BetmVV-EDI, SR 812.121.11, Annex 5, list d, as of 13 March 2026). CBD flowers, CBD hash and full spectrum oils may therefore contain THC as long as the content is below 1%. You can read more about this limit in the article on the 1% rule in Switzerland.

How much THC a product contains is stated on the label or in the product description. For road traffic, however, what counts is not the content in the product but the value measured in the blood. A product with under 1% THC may be sold, but does not rule out THC being detected in the blood. How full spectrum extracts are made and why they contain THC is explained in the article How CBD oil is made.

Am I allowed to drive with CBD?

The law does not prohibit CBD, but driving with THC in the blood at or above the limit. A study from Switzerland shows that this value can be reached after CBD-rich hemp. Gelmi, Weinmann and Pfäffli (Forensic Sciences Research, 2021) examined 33 people after CBD-rich hemp with 16.6% CBD and 0.9% THC. In the first blood samples, free THC was detected in 32 of 33 people, all of these values were above 1.5 µg/L. In the second blood sample about 45 minutes later, according to the authors, about 65% of the people were still above the decision value of 2.2 µg/L used in the study, which includes the measurement uncertainty for the limit of 1.5 µg/L.

The law does not name a waiting time after which a measured value is certain to be below 1.5 µg/L. How long THC remains detectable in the blood depends, among other things, on the product and the person. The only thing that matters is the measured value at the time of the check.

What happens with THC in the blood above the limit

Anyone who drives a motor vehicle with a THC value of 1.5 µg/L or more commits a serious offence under Art. 16c para. 1 let. c SVG. This has two consequences that apply independently of each other:

• Administratively, the driving licence is withdrawn for at least three months (Art. 16c para. 2 let. a SVG).
• Under criminal law, a custodial sentence of up to three years or a monetary penalty may be imposed (Art. 91 para. 2 let. b SVG).
• Anyone who rides a non-motorised vehicle such as a bicycle while unfit to drive is fined (Art. 91 para. 1 let. c SVG).

Art. 2 para. 2ter VRV provides an exception only for persons who can prove they receive THC on medical prescription. It does not apply to freely available CBD products.

CBD oil and driving

The rule applies equally to all product forms, to CBD oil as well as to flowers, hash or vape cartridges. Depending on the product, a full spectrum oil contains under 1% THC, the exact figure is on the label. In road traffic, what matters remains the THC value in the blood, not the form of the product and not its CBD content.

Abroad, different THC limits apply to products and different rules apply in road traffic. Our article Travelling with CBD gives an overview of the situation in neighbouring countries.

How long THC remains detectable in the body depends on the test method and on individual factors. Our THC breakdown calculator gives an estimate.

Further questions