The law on medicinal cannabis in Switzerland comes into force on August 1st

From August 1st, the Swiss Medical Cannabis Act will officially come into force. This news is the result of the amendment to the Swiss Narcotics Act, which the Federal Assembly (also known as the Swiss Parliament) passed almost a year and a half ago. The Federal Council lifted the medical cannabis ban in June.

From August 1st, medical cannabis patients will be allowed to receive prescriptions directly from their doctor instead of requiring approval from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG). The change also allows medicinal cannabis to be exported, provided licensed companies obtain authorization from Swissmedic, which is responsible for the “Approval and Supervision of Medicinal Products”.

In a media release, the Federal Council explained that the demand prompted the change due to the increased demand. In this translation, “BAG” is an abbreviation for Federal Office of Public Health or the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.

“Until now, cannabis for medical purposes could not be cultivated, imported or processed into preparations without a special permit. The treatment of patients with cannabis medicinal products that were not subject to approval was only possible with an exceptional permit from the FOPH and only in justified cases,” said the Federal Council in a press release. “The demand for such permits has increased in recent years. This is administratively complex, delays treatment and no longer corresponds to the exceptional character provided for by the Narcotics Act. The Federal Council has therefore presented Parliament with an amendment to the law to lift the ban on cannabis for medical purposes passed in March 2021. A narcotics regulation is still required for such drugs.”

Currently, Switzerland only allows CBD products with less than 1% THC, and recreational cannabis will remain illegal. However, Switzerland is on track to launch its cannabis pilot program from Basel in the north of the country in partnership with the University of Basel, its psychiatric clinics and the local government.

According to an April 2022 announcement, the program will allow approximately 400 people to purchase recreational cannabis sometime in September. Over the course of two and a half years, participants will answer questions about mental and physical health. For the use of this study, cannabis is provided by Pure Production.

In addition, a study entitled “Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility” is nearing final approval with the aim of examining the effectiveness of medical cannabis. The study was originally announced in September 2021, and on June 28 the researchers confirmed that they had sent their application to the FOPH and the cantonal ethics committee. There is currently a waiting list for people interested in this study, with a total of 2,100 participants being accepted.

Other recent studies confirm that the demand for cannabis is constantly increasing. A study conducted by the University of Geneva’s Institute of Sociology and a consulting firm called EBP Switzerland, entitled “Economic Impact of Current and Alternative Regulation in Switzerland,” found that legalizing cannabis was worth $1.03 billion and could bring 4,400 jobs to the country. Adrian Gschwend, Head of Policy and Implementation at the BAG, explained the essential timing of this data. “The study comes at just the right time, as the National Assembly’s Commission on Social and Health Affairs recently launched a bill to legalize cannabis,” Gschwend said, according to MyScience.com. “The results show that both the current illicit market and a liberal commercial market impose costs on the community while individuals reap large profits. So we need a well-regulated market that guarantees both the protection of children and young people and measures to protect their health[s].”