Glossary
A pilot trial (Pilotversuch) is a non-medical scientific study authorised by the BAG under Art. 8a BetmG and limited in place, time and number of participants.
A pilot trial (Pilotversuch) is a scientific study with cannabis that the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) may authorise under Art. 8a of the Narcotics Act, after consulting the cantons and communes concerned. Pilot trials are meant to provide findings on how new rules affect the handling of cannabis for non-medical purposes. Consumption for medical reasons is not part of the trials (Art. 8a BetmG; Art. 2 BetmPV).
The legal limits
- Each trial is limited in place, in time and in the number of participants (Art. 5 and 6 BetmPV).
- Participants must live in the canton in which the trial is conducted (Art. 14 BetmPV).
- A single trial may last at most five years and may be extended once, on request, by at most two years (Art. 5 para. 2 BetmPV).
- The legal basis is temporary: Art. 8a BetmG and the pilot trials ordinance (BetmPV) apply until 14 May 2031 (Art. 8a BetmG; Art. 35 BetmPV).
- Advertising for the cannabis products of the trials is prohibited (Art. 12 BetmPV).
Separate from medical treatment
Pilot trials are not a route to medical treatment and are kept separate from it. Our practice is not involved in any pilot trial. The BAG publishes the authorised trials in its overview of authorised pilot trials; the list can change.
General information, not legal advice. It does not replace a medical consultation.
Questions? Message us on WhatsApp.
Quick and simple, also before you book.
Take your time to decide. The free information call covers the process, the legal situation and the costs.