Zurich’s municipal parliament has voted to extend its flagship adult-use cannabis pilot, Züri Can, by a further two years to October 2028, and to provide an additional CHF 800,000 in funding, in a 101-13 vote that laid bare the fault lines in Swiss cannabis politics.
After applying to extend the ‘Züri Can: Cannabis with Responsibility’ pilot last October, following what officials describe as encouraging early results in reducing illicit sales and improving public-health outcomes, the council held a vote on March 18, 2026.
With the supplementary credit, the cost of the program, run by the Psychiatric University Clinic of University of Zurich is CHF 2,76 million. The University of Zurich contributes an additional CHF 156,000 towards extension costs.
Unlike some of Switzerland’s other cannabis pilot programmes, which are funded through cantonal health departments or university research budgets, Züri Can is directly financed by the City of Zurich, meaning any additional expenditure above the original approved budget requires a formal vote of the Gemeinderat.
The vote passed without any doubt, and the debate before it highlighted some tensions that are emerging around the cannabis liberalisation even in the most progressive of states.
After the vote, there is a 30 day objection period. The extension will then be formally approved with the final approval required by the federal office of public health and the cantonal ethical committee.
Are the city of Zurich becoming a Dealer?
In a trend that has spread across Europe, those of the populist left were the ones who opposed the project the most. The Swiss People’s Party’s (SVP’s) representative immediately attacked the project, calling it state-sponsored drugs.
He told the council that “what is sold as a study here is in fact a cannabis market run by state agencies.” Is Zurich becoming a cannabis dealer with its logo, administration and tax dollars?
The project was first sold in a positive way, as responsible, science-supervised and innovative. And then suddenly the money is no longer enough… The state cannot simultaneously warn about risks and sell cannabis without making itself look ridiculous.”
This stance was soon countered by Pascal Lamprecht of the Social Democratic Party (SP), who told the council: “Cannabis is not simply always and only harmless, we see it that way too… Drug policy should be based on facts, which means control and prevention.”
Lamprecht went on to say that operators had recommended the product range of the study be expanded, to include vapes and edibles, to discourage consumers from going back to the blackmarket.
On this note, the Greens’ Yves Heinz suggested that the SVP’s position ‘effectively aims to push all consumers back to the illicit market, and thereby drive insecurity in our city and advance the promotion of organised crime.
He continued: “Züri Can is the scientifically and politically constructive path toward an evidence-based drug policy where health protection is central.”
The sharpest exchange of the session came from Moritz Bögli of the socialist Alternative List, who pointed to the SVP’s contradictory position on tobacco.
The National Council voted unanimously against measures that would have ratified the WHO tobacco accord. Every year, more than 9000 people in Switzerland die of tobacco-related diseases. These deaths are tolerated because the tobacco industry receives money. “To then say in front of this council that we are against this product because it’s harmful to your health is just complete hypocrisy.”
Stefan Urech, a member of the SVP, responded with a powerful retort: “To say that we have links to the mafia, or that we’re paid millions by a lobby, simply because we oppose the state institutionalising cannabis consumption is laughable.” “I would suggest that you calm down and maybe tone down some of these products.”
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What are the results?
In March 2026 there are 2,456 study participants, which is close to the cap of 3,000 that was approved by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) in November 2024. The programme now has approximately 106,000 sales recorded, corresponding with around 902kg of marijuana sold via regulated channels.
The figures above represent an improvement on those reported when the first extension proposal was made in October of 2025. Around 88,000 transactions had been recorded and around 750kg worth of sales.
Source: University of Zurich Figure 2a. Gender distribution in percentage. Source: University of Zurich
The city estimated that CHF 7.5m was diverted off the black market at that time. With transaction volumes increasing by 20%, this figure has likely increased further. An updated estimate, however, has yet to be published.
Andreas Hauri is the head of Zurich’s Department of Health and Environment and he has been overseeing the project from its beginning. He told the city council in a debate that “we find that most of the participants are not consuming less, but more.”
It is a very important finding. Participants are in no worse mental or physical condition, rather they’re better. This pilot can help to strengthen conscious consumption.”
What will happen in the next 2 years?
Programme operates in 21 points of distribution, including ten pharmacies and nine cannabis social clubs. The city’s Drug Information Centre also participates. Each point tests a different approach to controlled access. Product ranges are also growing from the five launched at launch, to 14 products with a variety of THC/CBD profiles.
The extended phase will continue to focus on gender and consumption patterns. Participants continue to be overwhelmingly male, reflecting the wider trends in Swiss cannabis usage data. However, frequent users remain overrepresented.
A quarter of the participants displayed signs of cannabis abuse disorder, which is in line with broader studies on regular users. These findings support the public health motivations of this programme.
Marc Brüngger, Head of Innovation and Regulation at Pure AG, the foremost supplier of cannabis to the country’s pilot projects, highlighted the near-unanimity of the vote, with opposition confined largely to SVP members, as a signal of broad political consensus.
He noted, on the subject of demographics, that women cannabis consumers were a blind spot within the research. The expansion in product offerings would also help to maintain the engagement level among participants over the course of the study.
Hauri says the extension of data is not so much about data as about continuity. The federal government will be able to introduce a definitively regulated system of distribution by 2027.
The city will definitely be on board, and ready to help implement the policy. “We want cannabis policies that are realistic and put health at the top of their list.”
Zurich’s municipal parliament has voted to extend its flagship adult-use cannabis pilot, Züri Can, by a further two years to October 2028, and to provide an additional CHF 800,000 in funding, in a 101-13 vote that laid bare the fault lines in Swiss cannabis politics.
After applying to extend the ‘Züri Can: Cannabis with Responsibility’ pilot last October, following what officials describe as encouraging early results in reducing illicit sales and improving public-health outcomes, the council held a vote on March 18, 2026.
With the supplementary credit, the cost of the program, run by the Psychiatric University Clinic of University of Zurich is CHF 2,76 million. The University of Zurich contributes an additional CHF 156,000 towards extension costs.
Unlike some of Switzerland’s other cannabis pilot programmes, which are funded through cantonal health departments or university research budgets, Züri Can is directly financed by the City of Zurich, meaning any additional expenditure above the original approved budget requires a formal vote of the Gemeinderat.
The vote passed without any doubt, and the debate before it highlighted some tensions that are emerging around the cannabis liberalisation even in the most progressive of states.
After the vote, there is a 30 day objection period. The extension will then be formally approved with the final approval required by the federal office of public health and the cantonal ethical committee.
Are the city of Zurich becoming a Dealer?
In a trend that has spread across Europe, those of the populist left were the ones who posed the greatest opposition. The Swiss People’s Party’s (SVP’s) representative immediately attacked the project, calling it state-sponsored drugs.
He told the council that “what is sold as a study here is in fact a cannabis market run by state agencies.” Is Zurich becoming a cannabis dealer with its logo, administration and tax dollars?
The project was first sold in a positive way, as responsible, science-supervised and innovative. And then suddenly the money is no longer enough… The state cannot simultaneously warn about risks and sell cannabis without making itself look ridiculous.”
This stance was soon countered by Pascal Lamprecht of the Social Democratic Party (SP), who told the council: “Cannabis is not simply always and only harmless, we see it that way too… Drug policy should be based on facts, which means control and prevention.”
Lamprecht went on to say that operators had recommended the product range of the study be expanded, to include vapes and edibles, to discourage consumers from going back to the blackmarket.
On this note, the Greens’ Yves Heinz suggested that the SVP’s position ‘effectively aims to push all consumers back to the illicit market, and thereby drive insecurity in our city and advance the promotion of organised crime.
He continued: “Züri Can is the scientifically and politically constructive path toward an evidence-based drug policy where health protection is central.”
The sharpest exchange of the session came from Moritz Bögli of the socialist Alternative List, who pointed to the SVP’s contradictory position on tobacco.
The National Council voted unanimously against measures that would have ratified the WHO tobacco accord. Every year, more than 9000 people in Switzerland die of tobacco-related diseases. These deaths are tolerated because the tobacco industry receives money. “To then say in front of this council that we are against this product because it’s harmful to your health is just complete hypocrisy.”
Stefan Urech from the SVP responded in a sarcastic way: “To suggest we have connections with the mafia and are being paid millions by some lobby, simply because we oppose the state institutionalising cannabis consumption is just laughable.” “I would suggest that you calm down and maybe tone down some of these products.”
READ MORE…
What are the results?
By March 2026 2,456 people are registered in the study. This is approaching the expanded limit of 3,000, approved by Federal Office of Public Health on November 20, 2024. The program has recorded around 106,000 legal transactions, corresponding with 902kg of Cannabis sold through regulated outlets.
The figures above represent an improvement on those reported when the first extension proposal was made in October of 2025. Around 88,000 transactions had been recorded and around 750kg worth of sales.
Source: University of Zurich Figure 2a. Gender distribution in percentage. Source: University of Zurich
The city estimated that CHF 7.5m was diverted off the black market at that time. With transaction volumes increasing by 20%, this figure has likely increased further. An updated estimate, however, has yet to be published.
Andreas Hauri of Zurich’s Department of Health and Environment, who has led the project ever since it began, said to the council at the time of the discussion: “We found that those participating in the program are not eating more but rather less.”
This is the single most important finding. Participants are in no worse mental or physical condition, rather they’re better. This pilot can help to strengthen conscious consumption.”
What will happen in the next 2 years?
Programme operates in 21 points of distribution, including ten pharmacies and nine cannabis social clubs. The city’s Drug Information Centre also participates. Each point tests a different approach to controlled access. Product ranges are also growing from the five launched products to 14 now, with a variety of THC/CBD profiles.
The extended phase will continue to focus on gender and consumption patterns. The majority of participants are men, which is consistent with the overall patterns observed in Swiss cannabis data. Frequent users, however, remain disproportionately overrepresented.
The programme was designed to promote public health, as evidenced by the fact that a quarter (25%) of participants had signs of cannabis-use disorder prior to joining. This is consistent with research conducted on frequent users.
Marc Brüngger, Head of Innovation and Regulation at Pure AG, the foremost supplier of cannabis to the country’s pilot projects, highlighted the near-unanimity of the vote, with opposition confined largely to SVP members, as a signal of broad political consensus.
He noted, on the subject of demographics, that women cannabis consumers were a blind spot within the research. The expansion in product offerings would also help to maintain the engagement level among participants over the course of the study.
Hauri’s extension concerns both continuity and data. The federal government will be able to introduce a definitively regulated system of distribution by 2027 or 2028 at the very latest, he said.
The city will definitely be on board, and ready to help implement the policy. “We want cannabis policies that are realistic and put health at the top of their priority list.”
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