Swiss law on medical cannabis to come into force on August 1

Effective August 1, Switzerland’s medical cannabis law will officially take effect. This development is the result of an amendment to Switzerland’s Narcotics Act, which the’The Swiss Federal Assembly adopted it nearly a year and a half ago. The Federal Council lifted the ban on medical cannabis in June.

Starting August 1, patients who use medical cannabis will be able to obtain prescriptions directly from their doctor, without having to seek authorization from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). The amendment also allows for the export of medical cannabis, provided that authorized companies seek approval from Swissmedic, which is responsible for «the authorization and oversight of therapeutic products.».

In a press release, the Federal Council stated that this change was prompted by increased demand.

«Until now, cannabis for medical purposes could not be cultivated, imported, or processed into preparations without a special authorization. The treatment of patients with cannabis-based medications exempt from authorization was only possible with a special authorization from the FOPH and only in justified cases,» the Federal Council stated in a press release.

«The number of applications for such authorizations has increased in recent years. The administrative process for processing these applications is complex and no longer aligns with the exceptional nature of such cases as provided for in the Narcotics Act. The Federal Council has therefore submitted to Parliament an amendment to the law aimed at lifting the ban on cannabis for medical purposes, which was passed in March 2021. A narcotics prescription will still be required for these medications.»

Currently, Switzerland only allows CBD-based products containing less than 1 % of THC, and recreational cannabis will remain illegal. However, Switzerland is in the process of launch its cannabis pilot program in Basel, in the northern part of the country, in partnership with the University of Basel, its psychiatric clinics, and the local government.

The program will allow approximately 400 people to purchase cannabis for recreational use in September. Over a period of two and a half years, participants will answer questions about their mental and physical health. For the purposes of this study, the cannabis will be provided by Pure Production.

In addition, a study titled «Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility» is about to be approved, with the aim of examining the effectiveness of medical cannabis. The study was initially announced in September 2021, and on June 28, the researchers confirmed that they had submitted their application to the FOPH and the cantonal ethics committee. There is currently a waiting list for people interested in participating in this study, with a total of 2,100 participants allowed.