Zurich to legalise adult-use cannabis in pilot project

Zurich will become the second Swiss city to legalise the sale and consumption of adult-use cannabis in a pilot programme due to launch this summer.

On Tuesday 21 March, the Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP), the public health centre of the Swiss federal government, approved the city of Zurich’s project ‘Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility’. 

As part of the three-year pilot programme, which is due to launch this summer, up to 3,000 residents of Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city, will be able to purchase limited amounts of cannabis for personal use.

The study, a collaboration between Zurich City Council and University Hospital Zurich, will examine how participants’ consumption and health are affected by the purchase of selected regulated cannabis products in order to provide relevant information on how best to approach more widespread regulations.

Participants will have to complete a questionnaire every six months on their consumption habits and their state of health.

Zurich is the second Swiss city to participate in the pilot programme to study the effects of the legalisation of cannabis in Switzerland. The first trial, which involves around 400 participants, was launched in the city of Basel in January.

As with the various legalisation pilot tests in Switzerland, only people over the age of 18 and who already consume cannabis can participate in the programme, with the exception of pregnant women or professional drivers.

Participants in the experiment will be able to buy cannabis in pharmacies, special dispensaries or Cannabis Social Clubs located throughout the city of Zurich. 

A total of 21 designated cannabis supply points are expected to be available and begin selling in August 2023.