Executive Summary
On Monday, 20th of October, it was announced that the City of Zürich had formally applied to extend its legal cannabis pilot programme, “Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility,” until 2028, two years beyond the original end date of 2026. The project is part of Switzerland’s federal framework for scientific studies on regulated adult-use cannabis.
According to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), these pilots aim to generate evidence for potential nationwide regulation. The University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich (PUK) continues to lead the programme’s research component, focusing on consumption habits, health outcomes, and market impacts.
Table of Contents
Why Zürich Is Extending the Pilot
Launched in 2023, Züri Can allows registered adult residents to purchase cannabis legally through licensed outlets. The pilot was supposed to end in 2026, but that date is being pushed for 2028.
The two-year extension is intended to collect longer-term data on:
public health outcomes
consumer behaviour trends
the impact on black-market displacement
and optimal regulatory design for future national frameworks
Key data so far
The University of Zürich released a report on the pilot’s results so far, but in a snapshot Züri Can saw:
Over 2,300 participants enrolled
More than 88,000 transactions conducted
Around 750 kg of cannabis distributed through licensed channels
An estimated CHF 7.5 million redirected from illegal to regulated sales
78 % of participants show no signs of use disorder, and average stress levels remain comparable to the general population
According to Zürich officials, these indicators support extending the study period to better understand long-term health and market effects.
How Zürich's Cannabis Pilot Programme Works
Participants can access regulated cannabis through approximately 21 licensed outlets, including:
10 selected pharmacies
the city’s drug information centre (DIZ)
and 10 non-profit social clubs
The social club model has been particularly successful, offering a safer and socially supervised setting for cannabis use. Over half of all participants reportedly use these facilities.
In July 2025, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) approved raising the participant cap from 2,100 to 3,000, targeting occasional users and under-represented groups such as women. The city has budgeted approximately CHF 800,000 (€864,000) for the proposed two-year extension.
Information source: Universität Zürich (UZH)
Züri Can's Broader Implications for Europe’s Cannabis Policy
Zürich’s pilot sits within a broader network of Swiss research programmes testing regulated adult-use cannabis frameworks. Together, they position Switzerland as a European leader in evidence-based cannabis regulation.
For policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders, the Zürich extension offers valuable insights into:
The measurable reduction of black-market dependence
Consumption frequency and demographic patterns under legal access
Viable models for social clubs and regulated retail
The role of scientific evaluation in shaping sustainable cannabis laws
These findings will likely influence regulatory developments in Germany, the Netherlands, and other European jurisdictions exploring similar evidence-led approaches.
Why extend the pilot, and not just fully legalise adult-use entirely?
Some may wonder: “If the pilot has achieved good results so far, why don’t they just push for legalisation?”
Or worse, they could have simply ended adult-use altogether after the pilot’s 2026 cut-off date.
Well, this gets to the heart of how Swiss policymaking (and cannabis policy reform more broadly) tends to work: cautiously, empirically, and with political consensus rather than bold leaps.
Here are the main reasons:
1. The Swiss legal framework still doesn’t allow full legalisation
Even if results are positive, the pilot operates under an exemption from the Federal Narcotics Act, granted by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
Switzerland’s parliament hasn’t yet amended national law to legalise cannabis – only to permit scientific trials. So Zürich can’t unilaterally legalise adult use; it can only extend its study with federal approval.
In short: Zurich’s hands are tied until national legislation changes.
2. The extension allows for long-term data
Cannabis regulation involves complex social and health dynamics – consumption patterns, black-market displacement, public health, mental health, youth use, workplace implications, etc.
Two years of data are insufficient to assess these meaningfully.
By extending the pilot to 2028, researchers can:
Monitor longitudinal effects on participants (e.g. consumption frequency, health outcomes, social integration);
Track market evolution (e.g. price parity with the illicit market, product preferences);
Compare outcomes across different Swiss cities running similar pilots (Basel, Bern, Lausanne, etc.).
In essence: policymakers want robust, multi-year evidence before changing federal law. Which, overall, is a great sign.
3. Political caution and Swiss consensus culture
Switzerland’s direct democracy and federal system mean policy shifts happen slowly and deliberately.
Extending pilots helps build public confidence and political consensus, ensuring that any eventual legalisation will withstand future referenda or political pushback.
Legalisation without comprehensive data could risk losing that trust if any negative effects emerged later.
4. Legalisation will likely come federally, not city by city
Zürich can’t make adult-use cannabis legal on its own – even if it wanted to.
National lawmakers (and the FOPH) have signalled interest in a federal framework informed by the pilot results, but they’ll only legislate once the data are mature and the pilots have been fully evaluated.
So, this extension likely buys time for:
A federal evaluation report (expected around 2027);
A parliamentary debate on permanent legal regulation (2027–2028).
5. Pragmatic recognition of ongoing demand
Finally, Zürich knows there’s no sense in shutting down a functioning, well-received system – especially if it’s reducing black-market activity and promoting safe use.
Extending the pilot avoids forcing participants back into the illicit market while waiting for federal reform.
Conclusion
Zürich’s decision to extend its cannabis pilot programme until 2028 marks a strategic move toward data-driven regulation in Europe’s evolving cannabis landscape.
By expanding the Züri Can study, the city aims to deepen understanding of how regulated access influences public health, consumption behavior, and market dynamics. For researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals, Zürich continues to serve as a real-world laboratory for responsible, evidence-based cannabis reform.
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