Pilot trials with cannabis

On 15 May 2021 an amendment to the Federal Narcotics Act has come into force allowing pilot trials involving the dispensing of Cannabis for non-medicinal purposes. These trials are intended to create the basis for the future legal regulation.

On 25 September 2020, Parliament passed an amendment to the Federal Act on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (NarcA). With its new Article 8a NarcA, the revised Act provides a legal basis for conducting scientific pilot trials with cannabis that are limited in terms of both time and place.

The amended act has come into force on 15 May 2021 and will remain in effect for ten years. An ordinance on pilot trials in accordance with the Narcotics Act sets forth the requirements to be met for conducting the pilot trials and the details concerning the applications procedure (see Documents).

The aim is to increase knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of controlled access to cannabis, and to provide a sound scientific basis for possible decisions on the way the approach to cannabis is regulated.
Growing, importing, producing and selling cannabis is prohibited in Switzerland. Despite this ban, consumption is widespread, the black market is thriving, and users’ safety is not guaranteed.
In view of this unsatisfactory situation, parliament decided to amend the Narcotics Act (NarcA) to create the possibility for a limited period of ten years to test the impact of new regulatory approaches to the way cannabis is handled. The new legislation allows pilot trials to be conducted on non-medical cannabis use in adults. The aim is to provide a sound scientific basis for possible decisions on the design of cannabis regulation
The pilot trials look at the use of cannabis by adults for recreational purposes. They do not cover medically prescribed cannabis use for medicinal purposes.
The pilot trials are designed to give us a better understanding of the effects of controlled access to cannabis on the physical and mental health of users and on behaviour linked to cannabis consumption. In addition, the study will look at socio-economic aspects, such as the effects on users’ work capacity (absenteeism) and on their family and social relationships. These scientific studies may also examine the impact on the local black market and the protection of young people and public safety. However, the specific research questions will be decided by the relevant research projects.
As part of these scientific studies, users will be able to legally purchase various cannabis-based products, the quality of which will be highly regulated. As well as receiving product information, participants will be made aware of the risks of cannabis consumption by staff at the points of sale who will be trained accordingly. Resort to the black market will thus be ruled out, because the supply chains, from seed to product distribution, will be monitored and strictly controlled. The pilot trials are subject to strict requirements in terms of the protection of minors and health protection, and a total ban on advertising.

Further questions on pilot trials

Procedure for cannabis pilot trials

Further information

Further topics

Federal Office of Public Health FOPH

Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases Division
Schwarzenburgstrasse 157
Switzerland - 3003 Bern

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Pilot trials with cannabis

What is the aim of this new regulation?

Why implement these pilot trials in Switzerland?

What are these pilot tests about?

What can these trials teach us?

How do these pilot trials differ from the status quo?

Procedure for cannabis pilot trials

Procedure for cannabis pilot trials

Further information

Documents

Legal basis

Amending enactment Art. 8a NarcA (in french)

Verordnung über Pilotversuche nach dem Betäubungsmittelgesetz (BetmPV)

Explanatory report on NarcA

Questionnaire for pilot trials with Cannabis

FOPH standard questionnaire for participants in the pilot trials with cannabis

Instruction to the use of FOPH standard questionnaire for participants in the pilot trials with cannabis

Instruction to the module "competency in lower-risk cannabis use”

Scientific and technical basis

A research agenda for the regulation of non-medical cannabis use in Switzerland

Health protection, youth protection and prevention: Orientation framework for the pilot tests with cannabis

Comparison between the Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Canadian Good Production Practices for Cannabis

Product quality of cannabis relevant under narcotics law in Switzerland - Recommendations on the control of active substances and the handling of contaminants

Accompanying research on cannabis regulation

You can find further documents in German, French or Italian

Legislation

Further topics

Federal Office of Public Health FOPH