SWITZERLAND

Inside Switzerland’s Cannabis Legalisation Draft: Key Facts

On August 29, 2025, Switzerland opened a three-month public consultation on its proposed Cannabis Act (CanPG). The consultation runs until December 1, 2025 and makes public for the first time the full 200+ page draft law outlining how a regulated adult-use cannabis market would function.

Below is a breakdown of the draft provisions, as they appear in the text and in official summaries. This blog will be edited in the near future, apologies for chopped sections, and redundant points.

-Rico

🌱 Home Cultivation

• Adults may cultivate up to three female plants in the flowering phase.

• A minority proposal suggests raising this to five.

• At home, adults may possess self-supply products totalling up to 75 g THC, with explicit conversion factors provided:

  • 100 g dried flower = 15 g THC

  • 100 g hash = 25 g THC

  • 100 g solvent-based extract = 75 g THC

🚶 Public Possession

• In public, adults may carry cannabis products containing up to 5 g total THC.

• Alternatively, they may carry limited amounts of self-supply products:

  • 30 g dried flower

  • 15 g hash

👥 Cannabis Clubs

• A minority proposal would allow licensed, non-profit associations for member-only cultivation.

• Clubs would be subject to membership caps and plant limits, licensed at the cantonal level.

📦 Products, Packaging & Marketing

• Packaging must be sealed, neutral, and standardized, with no brand elements.

• Each pack is limited to 5 g total THC.

• Labels must include:

  • Total THC in milligrams and percent

  • Health warnings (including pictorial warnings for smoking products)

• Advertising, promotion, and sponsorship are banned entirely.

• The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) is tasked with monitoring compliance online.

• Products with additives require pre-market notification via the tobacco product IT system.

• Prohibited additives include nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and any psychoactive substances other than THC.

🧪 THC Measurement

• Possession and packaging limits are expressed as total THC content, not product weight.

• The law provides equivalences (flower, hash, extracts) but does not prescribe a fixed analytical formula.

• Instead, the Federal Council may set binding lab and testing methods by ordinance.

🛒 Retail & Online Sales

• Retail sales are concession-based at the cantonal level.

• An online channel is included, also concession-based.

• Retailers and online concessionaires are responsible for levy payments and compliance.

💰 Tax & Levies

• A two-part levy applies to all retail cannabis sales:

  1. Based on THC content

  2. Based on use-specific health risk by product type

• Levy rates can be:

  • Increased if public-health targets are not met

  • Lowered if the illicit market expands

• The levy is collected by the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) using data from the seed-to-sale tracking system.

• A minority proposal would replace this levy with a tobacco-style excise tax.

🎯 Public Health Targets

Ten years after the law enters into force, the following goals must be met:

• Smoked products ≤ 20% of the market

• Low-THC products ≥ 50% of the market

• Per-capita THC sales not to increase beyond the baseline

🩺 Use of Revenues

• Any profits above an “adequate return” must be spent on:

  • Prevention

  • Harm reduction

  • Addiction support services

• These expenditures will be audited annually.

📅 Next Steps

• The consultation period runs until December 1, 2025.

• Feedback will inform revisions before the draft proceeds to parliamentary debate.

📰 What’s in the Article

The article goes over many of the features of Switzerland’s draft CanPG law, many of which you’ve already shared. Some key points:

• Switzerland has opened a three-month public consultation (from August 29 to December 1, 2025) for its proposals to create a fully regulated adult-use cannabis market. Business of Cannabis

• The draft law, which runs 200+ pages, includes rules on packaging, sales hours, tax structure, online vs. retail distribution, etc. Business of Cannabis

• Non-profit principles are emphasized; harm reduction is a core goal rather than maximizing commercial gain. Business of Cannabis

• Despite Switzerland not being in the EU, its Schengen membership means it has to respect free movement of goods, which has regulatory implications. Business of Cannabis

Then it lists many of the structural elements of the draft (which you already pulled out in earlier messages): cantonal concessions, online channel licensure, vertical-integration bans, curfews, possession caps, seed-to-sale tracking, packaging requirements, and tax / levy structure depending on THC content and risk. Business of Cannabis

🔍 What this Adds / Reinforces

Here are things in the article that reinforce your previous summaries, and a few slight additions / clarifications:

• Public consultation transparency: The article emphasizes that although major policy aims had been publicly discussed since February 2025, this is the first time the full bill text is available for input. That’s politically significant — moving from outline to full draft. Business of Cannabis

• The article frames the system not merely as regulation but as building norms aligned with international law. The emphasis on non-profit, harm-reduction, and detailed control mechanisms (like bans on marketing, caps based on THC, strict packaging standardization) all help Switzerland make a case internationally. Business of Cannabis

• The risk that certain proposals (like a single online retailer, ban on vertical integration) may face pushback is noted — these are points of contention. Business of Cannabis

⚠️ What to Watch Out For (Potential Weaknesses / Debate Points)

From the article and what you've shared, these are some friction points or areas where the draft might run into challenges:

1. Analytical/measurement clarity

   • The draft often uses “total THC,” but doesn’t always make crystal clear how that is to be measured: what testing standards, tolerances, etc. Implementation details matter.

   • How do you treat various product forms (flower, hash, extracts, vapes)? The conversion examples help, but labs and enforcement will need uniform methodology.

2. Enforcing the “non-profit” or harm-reduction framing vs. commercial pressures

   • Operators might push to expand profit opportunities; political or economic pressures might try to loosen restrictions.

   • Where “non-profit” ends and “adequate return” begins could be contested.

3. Cantonal autonomy vs. federal consistency

   • Cantons have significant power (for instance, in granting retail concessions, defining hours, etc.). That could lead to patchwork regulation across Switzerland, which may complicate enforcement, consumer expectations, and trafficking risks.

4. Online channel & cross-border spillover

   • The single online retailer model helps with central control, but it may create black market or cross-border demand issues.

   • Free movement of goods (Schengen) could complicate enforcing territory-based restrictions.

5. Public health targets and adjustments

   • The performance metrics (e.g. reducing smoked product share, increasing non-additive/low-THC forms, not increasing per capita THC) are ambitious. If goals aren’t met, there might be pressure to adjust.

   • Monitoring, evaluation, and the ability to alter levy rates will be key levers — but also possible flashpoints politically.

6. Transition / legacy / illicit market concerns

   • How existing users/products or illicit market sources are handled matters. If regulation is overly strict or price + access not well-managed, illicit supply may persist.

   • Also: home-grown, clubs, etc., might be more restricted than some expect — creating incentives for non-compliance.

✅ Implications & Possible Outcomes

Based on this, here are likely outcomes or scenarios:

• Switzerland could become a model country in Europe for carefully regulated adult-use cannabis that tries to balance legalization with treaty compliance and public health protection.

• The strict controls (THC caps, packaging, no branding, etc.) may reduce commercial profits initially; smaller operators or those with mission-aligned aims (public health, harm reduction) may benefit more than high-profit growers.

• If successfully implemented, there may be broader momentum in Europe toward legalization reforms that are more “Swiss style” — highly regulated, limited commercialization, strong oversight — rather than the looser models seen in parts of North America.

• There may be legal, administrative, and enforcement challenges, particularly in defining product categories, testing methods, ensuring quality standards, and avoiding circumvention (smuggling, online sales to excluded persons, etc.).

💥 This last section ties the whole Swiss CanPG framework together — and it’s honestly jaw-dropping how tight, public-health-first, and internationally defensible it is. Let me break it down clearly:

🌿 Switzerland’s Cannabis Act (CanPG) – Home, Public, Clubs & Market Rules

🏠 At Home

• Home grow: Up to 3 female flowering plants per adult (some parties lobbying for 5).

• Private possession: Adults may hold self-supply products up to 75 g THC equivalent.

  • Explicit conversion factors:

    • 100 g flower = 15 g THC

    • 100 g hash = 25 g THC

    • 100 g extract = 75 g THC

🚶 In Public

• Carry limit: Up to 5 g THC equivalent.

• For self-supply, capped by weight:

  • 30 g dried flower or 15 g hash.

👥 Cannabis Clubs (Minority Proposal)

• Some lawmakers want non-profit member associations, licensed by cantons.

• Would allow member-only cultivation, capped plants & capped membership.

• Mirrors Spanish social club model, but under stricter cantonal control.

📦 Products, Packaging & Marketing

Product Categories

• Regulated by consumption form: smoking, vaping, oral, buccal, dermal, snuff.

• Federal Council can add “novel” categories and set standards:

  • Emissions caps for pre-rolls.

  • Vape device/container safety.

  • Dosing devices for oral forms.

Additives Prohibited

• No nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, or other psychoactives beyond THC.

• Pre-market certification required through BAG tobacco IT system.

Packaging & Labeling

• Neutral, standardised packaging (no branding).

• Max 5 g THC per sealed unit.

• Strong warnings, including graphic pictorials for smoking products.

Advertising

• Total ad ban: no advertising, promotion, or sponsorship.

• BAG polices compliance, including internet monitoring.

💰 Taxation & Public Health Steering

Levy Structure

• Two-part levy:

  • Component 1: Based on THC content.

  • Component 2: Based on use-specific health risk by product type.

• Rates adjustable:

  • ↑ Increase if health targets not met.

  • ↓ Decrease if illicit market expands.

Levy Collection

• Paid by retail concessionaires + the online channel.

• Collected by Customs Office (BAZG), based on tracking system data.

Public Health Targets (10-year horizon)

• Smoked products ↓ <20% of market.

• Low-THC, no-additive products ↑ ≥50% of market.

• Per-capita total THC sold must not exceed baseline.

Alternative Proposal (Minority)

• Replace steering levy with a tobacco-style excise tax.

Online Profits Allocation

• Online concessionaire must reinvest profits above adequate return into:

  • Prevention

  • Harm reduction

  • Addiction services

• Audited annually.

⚖️ Strategic Takeaways:

• Switzerland is creating the most restrictive, health-driven cannabis market in the world — but also the most treaty-compliant.

• Home grow is tiny but symbolically allowed → 3 plants, not 6 or 12.

• Public possession is capped by psychoactive potential (THC grams), not bulk weight.

• Clubs are only a minority idea right now — but could soften access while avoiding “retail capitalism.”

• Neutral packaging + ad bans make this closer to tobacco control law than “legalization.”

• The levy system is behavioral steering, not revenue-maximizing: it actively shapes consumption patterns to reduce smoking and encourage low-THC uptake.

• By forcing online profits into public health, Switzerland has built structural harm reduction into the market itself.

🔥 Okay, this part is hugely important — Switzerland isn’t just setting limits by grams of flower like most jurisdictions. They’re moving to a “total THC” metric across all product forms. That makes their system both more precise and more restrictive than anything in North America right now. Here’s the breakdown:

🌿 Switzerland’s “Total THC” Standard

1. Possession Limit = THC, Not Weight

• Citizens may only possess products containing up to 5g total THC, no matter the form.

  • Example:

    • 100 g flower @ 15% THC = 15 g THC → 3x legal limit.

    • 100 g hash @ 25% THC = 25 g THC → 5x legal limit.

    • 100 g extract @ 75% THC = 75 g THC → 15x legal limit.

➡️ This avoids the problem where 5g of flower ≠ 5g of concentrate in psychoactive effect.

2. Packaging Standardized by Total THC

• Per pack limit: max 5g total THC per unit, regardless of size/weight.

• Labels must state total THC in milligrams + %.

  • Makes it easy for consumers and regulators to calculate legality.

3. Taxation Based on THC Content

• The cannabis levy isn’t based on weight or price.

• It’s based on mg of THC sold → mirroring tobacco excise logic (mg nicotine).

4. Home Grow Equivalences

• Draft explicitly provides conversion tables:

  • 100 g flower ≈ 15 g THC

  • 100 g hash ≈ 25 g THC

  • 100 g extract ≈ 75 g THC

• Shows the law is thinking in chemical equivalence, not just weight.

5. Analytical Standards Delegated

• The draft doesn’t fix a formula for “Gesamt-THC.”

• Instead, it gives the Federal Council authority to declare official lab methods.

  • Future-proofing: if science or international standards evolve, Switzerland can adjust without rewriting the law.

⚖️ Why this matters:

• Puts Switzerland ahead of the curve scientifically. Most countries still regulate cannabis like it’s all flower.

• Provides a fair comparison between forms — concentrates, vapes, and flower measured by effect, not bulk.

• But it’s also restrictive: a tourist could legally carry a small bag of weak flower, but a single vape cart might already max the 5g THC limit.

• From an international law perspective, this bolsters the harm-reduction justification: “We’re not liberalizing access, we’re tightly controlling the psychoactive component.”

Ricardo — this “total THC” approach is the kind of thing U.S. regulators (and prohibitionists) will watch closely. 🇨🇭 is setting up a scientifically measurable, enforcement-friendly standard that sidesteps loopholes.

This is gold — you’ve pulled out the regulatory backbone of the CanPG. It reads less like a free-market law and more like a public-health statute with tightly circumscribed allowances. Let me sketch the architecture clearly:

🏛 Switzerland’s Federal Act on Cannabis Products (CanPG) – Key Provisions

1. Federal vs. Cantonal Control

• Cantonal concessions only: Retail shops require a cantonal concession, and the canton decides how many to issue.

• Cantons may:

  • Operate shops directly,

  • Delegate to a public entity, or

  • Grant concessions to private third parties (under federal rules).

2. Online Sales (National Monopoly)

• Single national concession issued by the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG).

• BAG has full supervisory powers → can inspect, suspend, restrict, or revoke the license.

• Ensures centralized control of the digital channel.

3. Market Structure (Anti-Corporate)

• 🚫 Vertical integration prohibited:

  • Growers/manufacturers cannot own or participate in retail or online sales.

  • Retailers cannot cultivate, manufacture, or import.

• Prevents industry consolidation → a segmented, public-health-first supply chain.

4. Sales Restrictions

• Cap per transaction: Max 5g THC equivalent per sale.

• Curfew: No sales or deliveries between 22:00–06:00.

  • Cantons may extend the night ban.

• Eligibility: Only adults with Swiss citizenship or residence permits.

  • Tourists and short-term (L-permit) residents excluded.

• Mandatory ID verification in-store and online.

• Mandatory staff training + brief risk-reduction consultation at point of sale.

• Test purchases by authorities to check compliance.

5. Tracking & Oversight

• National seed-to-sale tracking system (Nachverfolgungssystem):

  • Basis for taxation, recalls, and market data.

  • Mandatory nationwide monitoring and evaluations.

  • First major evaluation within 5 years, then ongoing.

6. Import/Export Rules

• Permits required for all import, transit, and export.

• Exports only if lawful at the destination country and backed by a permit from that destination.

• Customs authority (BAZG) can seize, refuse, or order destruction.

7. Consumption Spaces

• Consumption rooms permitted under strict regulation.

• No alcohol allowed inside.

⚖️ What this means strategically:

• Switzerland is building a non-commercialized, segmented, harm-reduction-oriented model.

• It keeps control with the state and cantons, blocks corporate consolidation, and avoids “cannabis tourism.”

• The 5g THC cap + sales curfew are straight public health optics: they’re not just about safety, but about signaling to the world (and UN treaty monitors) that this is not a free-for-all market, it’s a carefully monitored health intervention.

• Seed-to-sale + mandatory evaluation within 5 years → designed to show measurable evidence to international observers that legalization can be controlled, studied, and justified.

Ricardo — this stuff is dynamite for your advocacy toolkit. 🇨🇭 is literally writing a template the U.S. government could never justify (“online-only, non-profit, federal-first”), but it’s also a Trojan horse for normalization on the world stage.