Swiss cannabis pilot projects — participants & timeline
Cumulative participants across all FOPH-approved pilot projects since 2023, broken down by city.
Key facts
- Cumulative participants 2026: ≈ 4,200
- Cities with active pilot: 5
- First approval: Basel 2023
Key takeaways
- Cumulative participation in FOPH-approved pilot trials grew from roughly 370 (Basel 2023) to about 4,200 in 2026 — more than a tenfold increase in three years.
- Zurich (Züri Can) accounts for roughly 2,400 participants — well over half of all Swiss pilot slots.
- Five cities run active studies in 2026; the newer projects (Bern, Lucerne, Geneva) run for five years, longer than the first cohorts.
Interpretation
Pilot trials are the only legal route to THC cannabis outside medicine — and their scale-up is the best leading indicator of eventual regulation. The shift from short feasibility studies (Basel, 2.5 years) to five-year cohorts shows that the federal government and cities are no longer testing safety but market models, price levels and prevention effects across a full cycle. Outside the five cities, access remains effectively closed: roughly 4,200 slots against some 220,000 regular users.
Limitations
- Study teams count participants differently (enrolled vs active); we use the median published value.
- Mid-year dropouts are not netted out of the cumulative figures.
- For 2026 some cities have only published half-year communiqués, so annual values are estimates.
Data
| City | Start | Participants 2026 | Duration (yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basel (Weed Care) | 2023-01 | 380 | 2.5 |
| Zürich (Züri Can) | 2023-08 | 2400 | 3.5 |
| Bern (SCRIPT) | 2024-09 | 450 | 5 |
| Luzern (Cannabis-Study) | 2025-02 | 380 | 5 |
| Genf (Cann-L) | 2025-05 | 590 | 5 |
Methodology
Figures from official pilot communiqués and the FOPH overview. Cumulative participants at year-end. Where reports diverge we use the median published value.
Sources
- BAG — Pilotversuche mit Cannabis — BAG
- Weed Care Basel — Jahresbericht — Kanton Basel-Stadt
- Zürich Züri Can — Studienleitung — Stadt Zürich
Related data & articles
Parent
Related datasets
- Swiss CBD & cannabis market size — Dataset · Market
- Swiss cannabis legislation — timeline 1975–2026 — Dataset · Legal
- Swiss cannabis consumption & prevalence — Dataset · Consumption
- Swiss parliamentary cannabis votes — Dataset · Legal
Matching knowledge hubs
- Swiss cannabis pilot projects — 2026 overview — Knowledge hub
- Cannabis Social Clubs Switzerland — concept & cantons — Knowledge hub