Switzerland: medical cannabis ban lifted on August 1

The Swiss government announced on June 22 that it would lift the ban on medical cannabis, in accordance with an amendment to the Swiss Narcotics Act which Parliament approved in March 2021. The Swiss government thus aims to «facilitate patients» access to medical cannabis.”

«The decision to use a cannabis-based medication for therapeutic purposes will be made by the doctor, in consultation with the patient,» said specified the government regarding this amendment. Starting August 1, patients will no longer be required to obtain authorization from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

In Switzerland, medical cannabis is permitted only for patients who have a doctor’s approval or who previously had to obtain authorization from the FOPH. Currently, only Sativex is approved for prescription to patients without exceptional authorization from the FOPH. For any other compounded preparation or cannabis-based medicine Although not subject to authorization, an exceptional authorization from the FOPH was required and granted only in justified cases

Swissmedic, the country’s federal public-law agency responsible for both «the authorization and oversight of therapeutic products»—including cocaine, methadone, and morphine—could be tasked with regulating the cannabis industry in the future.

In 2019, the FOPH issued approximately 3,000 authorizations to patients suffering from a wide variety of medical conditions related to cannabis. However, the FOPH described this process as «cumbersome administrative procedures.» «People who are sick should be able to access these medications without excessive red tape,» the Office stated.

Since then, 3,000 such permits have been issued each year, rendering the «exceptional» nature of these permits obsolete.