Two new adult-use cannabis trials in the Italian-speaking Ticino region of Switzerland may soon receive approval, but the Canton’s Grand Council has decided to step back from any involvement. This decision comes as the council debated its role in supporting the projects, which proponents say are ready to launch pending approval from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
Switzerland has been moving quickly since it passed legislation in 2021 that allows for the small-scale regulated sale of cannabis. So far, seven pilot trials have been approved and are currently operational. However, the path for the potential eighth and ninth trials in Ticino now seems uncertain.
On March 24, 2025, the Ticino Grand Council held a heated discussion about participating in the local pilot projects. The history of these initiatives dates back nearly a decade, with the first proposals introduced in 2016. Originally submitted as a motion in 2017, it took until this year for the council to finally hold a vote on the matter.
The initial motion requested that the canton promote the pilot project, but it was later amended to suggest that council members vote to support existing projects. Despite these changes, the debate featured strong opposition, and ultimately, prohibitionist arguments won out.
One of the proposed pilots awaiting FOPH approval is called ‘Cannabis in Ticino,’ put forward by TiCann SA, a Swiss company established to facilitate a regulated cannabis trial in the canton. The project’s main goal is to gather substantial data on cannabis consumption, public health outcomes, and social effects under controlled legal conditions.
While the ethics committee has approved the project, it still awaits final approval from the FOPH. Preparations for the study are in place, but it will only commence once all regulatory authorizations are secured. TiCann will oversee the trial’s funding and distribution of cannabis products to participants. The University of St. Gallen will conduct the academic research, and Areté Solutions, an independent clinical research organization, will ensure regulatory compliance and analyze regional trends.
Ticino is notable for being completely located south of the Alps, making it Switzerland’s southernmost region and limiting its access to the Swiss Plateau. The canton has a complicated history with cannabis, having seen numerous ‘canapai’ shops emerge in the early 2000s due to regulatory ambiguities. While the federal government has since tightened regulations, the pilots aim to address the ongoing rise of cannabis businesses operating in legal grey areas.
Supporters of the new bill argue that it aligns with federal intentions to legalize adult-use cannabis comprehensively. Laura Riget, a member of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and the motion’s introducer, highlighted the need for a structured approach to cannabis regulation. She emphasized that “Denying reality is never the solution” when it comes to cannabis consumption.
Conversely, opponents of the pilot projects expressed concerns about the approval of seven other trials, suggesting that this should be sufficient and cautioning against further liberalization.
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