Swiss cannabis fixed fines: legal framework and data gap
A CHF 100 fine may apply to adult consumption. No traceable current annual total or canton ranking is established here. Police crime-statistics offences are not a fixed-fine count.
Key facts
- Possible fine for adult consumption: CHF 100
- 2025 fine count in this evidence base: Not established here
- MonAM fine series no longer updated since: 2021
Key takeaways
- A statutory fine amount is not an observed number of issued fines.
- Consumption and possession must be distinguished; the CHF 100 rule is not applied indiscriminately to small-quantity possession.
- Police-recorded consumption offences and fixed fines are different statistical measures.
Interpretation
A defensible fine series needs original counts with a period, area, definition and recording rules. Crime statistics describe police-recorded events, not automatically the number of users or frequency of use. Changes in recording and enforcement can affect the result. A fall in recorded cases therefore does not alone prove a fall in consumption. The canton fields are not a ranking: missing evidence permits neither per-capita comparisons nor classification into strict and lenient cantons. Revenue also cannot be inferred from an unsubstantiated case count and the statutory amount. Only compatible evidence concerning the same measure would justify a new analysis.
Limitations
- No substantiated annual series of fixed fines. Police-recorded narcotics offences are not relabelled as fines.
- The legal overview does not replace assessment of an individual case or other simultaneous acts.
- Missing counts are neither extrapolated nor presented as zeros.
Data
| Comparison area | Comparable annual fine count |
|---|---|
| Zurich | Not established here |
| Vaud | Not established here |
| Bern | Not established here |
| Geneva | Not established here |
| Basel-Stadt | Not established here |
| Other cantons | Not established here |
Methodology
The MonAM indicator describes police-recorded narcotics offences relating to consumption. Its definition explicitly states that fixed-fine statistics have not been updated since 2021 and the corresponding chart was removed. The source update of 3 September 2026 does not turn this separate fine series into current annual statistics. Previous values through 2025, canton distribution and claimed revenue are not retained as observations without traceable original evidence. The table retains its comparison areas but explicitly leaves their fine counts unresolved. “Not established” does not mean zero. The FOPH explains the possible CHF 100 fine for adult consumption and the separate possession of up to ten grams for personal use. This legal rule counts neither issued nor paid fines.
Sources
- FOPH / Obsan: definition of the consumption-offence indicator — BAG / Obsan
- FOPH: distinguishing consumption, fixed fines and possession — BAG / OFSP / UFSP / FOPH
Related data & articles
Parent
Same category
- Swiss cannabis seizures: selected 2025 police-statistics quantities — Enforcement dataset
Related datasets
- Swiss cannabis legislation: documented milestones and legal status — Dataset · Legal
Matching knowledge hubs
- Cannabis law Switzerland — 2026 legal status — Knowledge hub
- Cannabis statistics Switzerland — Knowledge hub
Articles
No substantiated annual series of fixed fines. Police-recorded narcotics offences are not relabelled as fines.