The planned CanPG: what it means for patients

The planned Cannabis Products Act (CanPG) is a preliminary draft, not law. As of 20 October 2026 it is with the health committee of the National Council, and neither chamber of parliament has voted on a bill. For patients, the draft changes nothing: medical treatment follows the Narcotics Act as it stands. The draft would only become law if parliament adopted a bill and it entered into force.

Where the planned act stands

The planned Cannabis Products Act (CanPG) goes back to parliamentary initiative 20.473 Siegenthaler, "Regulierung des Cannabismarktes für einen besseren Jugend- und Konsumentenschutz" (regulating the cannabis market for better protection of young people and consumers). The steps so far:

• 2021: the health committees of both chambers decided to take the initiative forward, the National Council's committee on 28 April 2021 and the Council of States' committee on 19 October 2021.
• February 2025: the National Council's health committee (SGK-N) adopted a preliminary draft.
• 29 August to 1 December 2025: the committee held a consultation on the draft.
• 26 September 2025: the National Council extended the deadline for the draft to the autumn session 2027.
• 8 May 2026: the committee decided by 16 votes to 8, with 1 abstention, to continue its work. By 17 votes to 8 it rejected a suspension until the pilot trials have been fully evaluated, and it tasked its subcommittee with revising the draft during 2026.
• 20 October 2026: the business is with the committee. Neither the National Council nor the Council of States has voted on a bill.

The official record of the business is on the website of the Swiss Parliament (in German).

What the preliminary draft contains

What follows is a draft under revision, not the law. According to the committee's press release of 29 August 2025 (in German), the preliminary draft would allow adults to grow cannabis for their own use and would regulate the sale of cannabis products to them: non-profit, through a limited number of points of sale holding a cantonal concession, possibly with a single federal concession for online sale. Supply to minors and any advertising would be prohibited, commercial cultivation and production would need a federal licence, products would need neutral packaging and electronic tracking, and a steering levy would apply. Cannabis would remain classified as a narcotic, and zero tolerance in road traffic would continue. According to the committee's press release of 8 May 2026, a majority of the cantons rejected the draft in its current form in the consultation.

What applies to medical treatment today

The planned CanPG does not change the law in force. Medical treatment is governed by the Narcotics Act (BetmG) and the Narcotics Control Ordinance (BetmKV):

• Since 1 August 2022, the Narcotics Act prohibits the cultivation, import, production and placing on the market of cannabis only insofar as it is not used for medical purposes (Art. 8 para. 1 let. d BetmG). Cannabis for medical purposes is therefore not a prohibited narcotic, but it remains a controlled narcotic subject to all control measures, listed in list a (Verzeichnis a).
• Since that date, any licensed Swiss physician may prescribe medical cannabis where medically indicated. No special permit is required: an exceptional authorisation from the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) is no longer needed (Art. 8 para. 5 let. b BetmG).
• Controlled substances of lists a and d must be prescribed on the official narcotics prescription form (Betäubungsmittelrezept), and this applies to medical cannabis (Art. 46 para. 2 and 3 BetmKV).

Under the law in force, medical cannabis is a controlled narcotic, prescribed on a narcotics prescription where medically indicated. Whether treatment is an option is decided individually by the physician during the consultation. There is no entitlement to a prescription; the physician decides on the basis of the medical assessment.

The 2022 change and the rules of the narcotics prescription are explained in our article What changed in Swiss narcotics law in 2022 and on our page on the legal situation in Switzerland.

Pilot trials: a separate, non-medical instrument

Pilot trials have their own legal basis and are not part of medical treatment. The BAG may authorise scientific pilot trials with cannabis that are limited in place, time and subject matter. They are meant to generate findings on how new rules affect the handling of cannabis for non-medical purposes and the health of participants. Consumption for medical reasons is not part of the trials (Art. 8a BetmG; Art. 2 BetmPV).

Art. 8a BetmG is in force from 15 May 2021 until 14 May 2031, and the pilot trials ordinance (BetmPV) applies for the same period. A single trial may last at most five years and may be extended once, on request, by at most two years (Art. 8a BetmG; Art. 5 para. 2 and Art. 35 BetmPV).

Pilot trials are not a route to medical treatment. The BAG publishes an overview of the authorised pilot trials (in German).

What this means for patients

• The planned CanPG is a preliminary draft. It is not law and does not apply to any treatment.
• Medical treatment follows the Narcotics Act as it stands: medical cannabis is a controlled narcotic, prescribed on a narcotics prescription where medically indicated.
• Pilot trials are non-medical studies, separate from medical treatment.
• The draft would only become law if parliament adopted a bill and it entered into force.

In our practice

Our physician Oxana Smagulova works under the law in force today. Our free 10-minute information call covers the process, the legal situation and the costs. The official sources behind this article are collected on our page Legal framework and official sources.

This article is general information and not legal advice.