Not being part of the EU, Switzerland has a bit more leeway when it comes to regulating cannabis compared to member states. It's no surprise that the country has initiated several cannabis pilots to monitor how an adult-use cannabis industry might develop from a regulatory, cultivation, and public health perspective. For this reason, each Swiss canton has set up a different type of cannabis pilot, with the one in Zurich specifically looking at how an adult-use cannabis market might function.
From CBD to THC
Alpina Pharma AG is one of the growers supplying products to this pilot. However, the company's origins weren't in THC-rich products, but rather in CBD. "The company was initially named 'Members Only GmbH (2023),' and we used to grow in both indoor and outdoor facilities," explains the owner and CEO, Raffael Kühne. The company initially offered a wide range of CBD products, which were sold through the company's retail locations until they decided to discontinue that part of the business. "Our products were sold in so many stores that managing retail locations became more of a hassle than anything," Raffael points out.
After receiving the license for the pilot projects, Alpina Pharma's focus has shifted from CBD to THC. they still sell over 40 of their own organic products, but the focus is now on THC-rich products for the pilot projects and medical cannabis. "As the cannabis pilot was being set up, we saw it as the perfect opportunity to build something new based on our experience."
Since 2021, Alpina Pharma has had a license to grow THC-rich cannabis. "The government gave us a chance to create something special with a future outlook toward legalization," Raffael continues. "There are lots of discussions right now about what will happen after the pilot ends, but everyone is happy, so we're optimistic."
Only organic allowed
Despite the positive outlook, every grower knows that producing high-quality cannabis is no easy feat, especially when regulations require particularly stringent standards. In every country, cannabis growers must walk the fine line between what's feasible and delivering a high-quality product, and this is no different for Swiss growers. Cannabis grown for these pilots must be cultivated organically, which essentially means no flashy hydroponic or aeroponic setups can be used—the plants must be grown directly in the ground. "We have very strict regulations on how cannabis must be grown," Raffael explains. "The entire cultivation process must be organic: you have to grow in the soil, not in pots or on tables—straight into the soil."
Raffael believes they were fortunate when selecting their location. "We have over 2,000 square meters of greenhouses, which were empty when we originally rented the space," he points out. Before they could plant the first seed, they had to conduct a series of tests, especially regarding soil composition. "You need to make sure everything is good, and that there are no traces of heavy metals in the ground."
But even after all that is taken care of, cannabis can be a finicky plant, and it needs a perfect environment to reach its full genetic potential. "We invested in a lot of automation, an irrigation system, and some air conditioning." The Swiss climate isn't exactly ideal for cannabis, so Raffael and Alpina Pharma invested in the necessary equipment to manage it properly, especially given the changing climate. "In recent years, there's been a big shift in the weather here in Switzerland," he remarks. "This year hasn't been particularly bad, but you usually get quite a temperature fluctuation from night to day. Managing the humidity in the greenhouse can be a challenge, but that's the life of a cannabis grower," he chuckles.
Temperature fluctuations and humidity spikes could potentially foster pests and pathogens, "but luckily, we haven't had any issues with those." Like in other countries where cannabis cultivation is regulated, Swiss growers have a list of approved products to manage pests and pathogens. "It can be tricky for us because we have to grow organically—it'd be easier if we had a different setup. But these are our regulations, and we have to work with what we have. We've had a lot of discussions with government officials about what can be changed in the future. Hopefully, we'll get a bit more leeway soon."
Allow small farmer to join
The idea behind mandating organic cannabis was to give small growers a chance to participate in cannabis trials without requiring a significant financial investment upfront. "This would also encourage former illicit growers to take advantage of this opportunity and become legal. I believe it's also important to give traditional farmers the tools to enter new lucrative ventures by keeping the barriers relatively low."
All in all, it seems the cannabis pilot in Zurich is going well, with the Swiss government keen on setting up a market that considers both economic benefits and public health. "We're fortunate to be part of the Zurich canton project, which is the largest and has the most participants. Right now, we have around 10 growers supplying products for all approved Pilot projects in Switzerland. If this is a glimpse of what the future Swiss adult-use market will look like, then I believe we're in for a nice ride."
For more information:
Alpina Pharma AG
Talstrasse 37, CH-8808 Pfäffikon SZ
[email protected]
alpina-pharma.ch