Switzerland officially legalizes cannabis for medical purposes

• 

After being approved by the Swiss Parliament in March 2021, and following the adjustments of the Swiss Narcotics Act, the utilization of cannabis for medical purposes has been legalized as of today, Monday, August 1, 2022. 

Given that patients are provided a medical prescription from their physician, the process of acquiring medical cannabis is now more facilitated for those with chronic illnesses and pain as they receive timely treatment, and by avoiding having to go through exhaustive administrative procedures. Patients, however, must obtain authorization from the Federal Office for Public Health. 

Regulations of CBD sales and their violations

The CBD must contain less than 1% THC content, so those with more and those used for recreational reasons are still deemed illegal. Medically necessary cannabis sales and purchases are regulated by Swissmedic, which follows the guidelines of the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. 

Swiss authorities have not permitted the reimbursement of cannabis-based medicine costs through mandatory healthcare insurance, except in dire and exceptional cases. 

Any use or selling of cannabis for non-medical purposes is still prohibited in the country.

Breaching the rules on narcotics can be punished with up to twenty years of judicial-set sentence time and monetary fines. Legal entities can be held responsible and condemned with a fine of up to CHF 5,000,000.