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INTRODUCTION

Can you drive after consuming CBD or THC? The answer is not that simple, because while CBD itself is not prohibited, there are clear legal limits for THC in road traffic. Those who do not comply with the rules risk fines or even losing their driver's license.

Cannabis and driving in Switzerland: key points at a glance:

CBD is generally allowed, but impaired driving ability can still be problematic.
THC is prohibited in road traffic – a strict zero-tolerance policy applies.
CBD cannabis with up to 1% THC can leave traces in the blood, which is why a waiting period of 24 hours is recommended.
THC cannabis with higher THC levels remains detectable for up to 72 hours.
The police cannot arbitrarily test for THC but need concrete suspicion.

WAS SIE IN DIESEM ARTIKEL ERFAHREN:

📌 CBD & Autofahren – Wann ist es erlaubt? Welche Risiken gibt es?

📌 Wie lange sollte man nach dem Konsum von CBD-Gras mit THC warten?

📌 THC & Autofahren – Wie lange bleibt THC nachweisbar?

📌 Wie funktioniert der THC-Abbau im Körper?

📌 Welche Strafen drohen bei einer Kontrolle?

But one thing at a time. In the following sections, you will learn in detail what you need to pay attention to when it comes to CBD and THC in road traffic.

DRIVING AND CBD

Chemische Strukturformel von Cannabidiol (CBD). Die Abbildung zeigt die molekulare Anordnung der Atome mit Hydroxylgruppen (-OH), Kohlenstoffketten und einem Benzolring, charakteristisch für die Cannabinoid-Verbindung.
Chemische Formel für Cannabidiol - CBD ist im Strassenverkehr grundsätzlich nicht verboten.

As mentioned at the beginning, there is no official limit for CBD (cannabidiol) in road traffic. The consumption of CBD is therefore not prohibited in road traffic. Das heisst, der Konsum von reinen CBD Produkten, ist an sich gesetzlich unproblematisch. Das heisst aber nicht, dass man nach der Einnahme von reinem CBD in jedem Fall noch ein Fahrzeug führen darf. Wie bei Medikamenten (bei welchen das Fahren nicht ausdrücklich verboten ist) oder bei Müdigkeit, everyone has to judge for themselves whether they are still fit to drive.

The Road Traffic Act (SVG) clearly states: ‘Every driver must have the necessary physical and mental capacity, otherwise they are unfit to drive.’ According to TCS Switzerland, this means: ‘If there is the slightest doubt, keep your hands off the wheel» – www.tcs.ch/de/testberichte-ratgeber/ratgeber/unfallursachen/medikamente.php

WIE LANGE NICHTAUTO FAHREN NACH CBD PRODUKTE KONSUM (<1% THC)

Although the consumption of pure CBD is unproblematic, many legal CBD cannabis products in Switzerland contain up to 1% THC. After consuming such CBD products, small amounts of THC can be detected in the blood, which could affect driving ability.

It is recommended that after consuming CBD Produkten mit bis zu 1% THC at least 24 hours before driving a vehicle again. This ensures that the THC content in the blood falls below the legal limit. Although the quantities of THC are small and an impairment of effective driving ability is unlikely, absolute zero tolerance applies by law in road traffic, which is why any detectable amount of THC could become a problem, as will become clear in the text below. Conclusion:

How long not to drive after CBD? Wenn man sicher gehen will, im Falle von CBD Produkten mit bis zu 1% THC sicherheitshalber 24 Stunden warten.

📢 Wichtig aber: Die Polizei darf bei einer Kontrolle nicht willkürlich nach THC im Blut kontrollieren. Mehr noch, für eine THC Kontrolle müssten Beamte mit Ihnen ins Spital zur Blutentnahme. Dafür benötigen sie einen konkreten Verdacht. Dabei könnte es sich um rote Augen, unklare Aussprache, im Auto mitgeführtes Cannabis oder andere Faktoren die auf den Konsum von Cannabis hindeuten handeln. However, if you behave normally and do not feel impaired and fully fit to drive, you have little to fear even if you are tested after consuming CBD cannabis.

FAZIT CBD GRAS UND AUTO FAHREN:

The consumption of pure CBD (cannabidiol) is generally not prohibited in road traffic. However, anyone who feels tired or otherwise impaired in any way after consuming CBD should never get behind the wheel!

DRIVING AND THC

Chemische Strukturformel von Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Die Abbildung zeigt die molekulare Anordnung des Atoms mit einem Benzopyran-Ring, einer Hydroxylgruppe (-OH) und einer aliphatischen Seitenkette, charakteristisch für das psychoaktive Cannabinoid.
Chemical formula for tetrahydrocannabinol: THC is generally prohibited in road traffic!

The situation is different with THC than with CBD. Here, it does not matter by law whether you still feel fit to drive. THC is strictly forbidden in road traffic. There is absolute zero tolerance by law. The detection limit for THC is 1.5 micrograms per litre of blood. This limit value is very low. A relaxation of this limit is currently being discussed. The FOPH (Federal Office of Public Health), among others, is also calling for this limit to be relaxed: https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/grenzwert-statt-nulltoleranz-mehr-nachsicht-mit-cbd-konsumenten-im-strassenverkehr

Currently, however, the low limit for the use of THC-containing products basically means Do not drive after taking the medicine. If the detection limit for THC in the blood is exceeded during a test, this can have serious consequences and lead to fines and disqualification from driving.

WIE LANGE NICHT AUTO FAHREN NACH THC GRAS (CA. 18% THC)

In contrast to CBD weed, THC-containing weed contains significantly higher amounts of THC, which can impair fitness to drive. THC weed with about 18% THC can be consumed up to 72 hours or longer in the blood, especially in the case of heavy or regular consumption.

After consuming THC weed with 18% THC, it is recommended that you take at least 48 to 72 hours wait until the THC has largely broken down.

So, how long can you not drive after THC? With strong THC weed, the waiting time is definitely longer, and regular users should allow even more time before driving again.

FAZIT THC GRAS UND AUTO FAHREN:

The consumption of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is prohibited in road traffic. Anyone who consumes products containing THC should therefore not get behind the wheel afterwards!

Additional information for interested parties:

WIE FUNKTIONIERT DER ABBAU UND DIE METABOLISIERUNG VON THC

In order to understand how long you should not drive after consuming cannabis containing THC, it is important to consider how THC works in the body and to understand the breakdown process. The following calculation should clarify why longer waiting times are necessary after smoking THC weed before you can drive safely again.

1. KONSUM VON THC

An average joint contains about 0.3 to 0.5 grams of cannabis. With a THC concentration of 18% this means that a joint is approximately 54 to 90 milligrams of THC contains.

2. THC AUFNAHME IN DEN KÖRPER

The bioavailability of THC through smoking is about 30%. This means that only around a third of the THC consumed actually enters the bloodstream. With a joint containing 0.5 grams of cannabis (90 mg THC), around 27 mg THC are actually absorbed into the bloodstream.

3. METABOLISIERUNG VON THC IM KÖRPER

After absorption into the bloodstream, THC is broken down relatively quickly in the liver into various metabolites. The main metabolite is THC-COOH, which is excreted in the urine. However, THC itself has a half-life of about 1 to 4 hours in the blood, whereby the concentration drops relatively quickly.

Diagramm zum THC-Abbau im Blut über die Zeit nach Konsum. Die blaue Kurve zeigt die THC-Konzentration in µg/L, die exponentiell abnimmt, während die rot gestrichelte Linie die gesetzliche Grenze von 1,5 µg/L markiert. Anfangs ist die Konzentration sehr hoch, fällt aber schnell ab und nähert sich etwa 24 Stunden dem gesetzlichen Limit. Nach 50-70 Stunden ist sie kaum noch nachweisbar
Illustration of THC breakdown in the body over time

4. ABBAU VON THC UNTER DEM GRENZWERT VON 1.5 MIKROGRAMM PRO LITER BLUT

The legal limit in Switzerland is 1.5 micrograms of THC per litre of blood. After consuming a joint with 90 mg of THC and ingesting about 27 mg of THC, the THC level in the blood would initially rise to about 100 to 200 micrograms per litre of blood (depending on various factors such as metabolism and body weight).

To fall below the limit of 1.5 micrograms per litre, THC must be broken down over several hours or days. With a half-life of 1 to 4 hours, the THC level in the blood can be roughly estimated. After about 8 to 12 hours the THC content has dropped significantly, but is probably still above the limit. Only after 24 to 72 hours, depending on the individual metabolism and the amount consumed, the THC value falls below the limit of 1.5 µg/L in most cases.

5. THC EINFLUSS AUF DIE FAHRTÜCHTIGKEIT

While the THC content in the blood plays a decisive role in legal terms, it should be emphasised that the pure blood value does not always correlate reliably with actual fitness to drive. In fact, many users are completely lucid and fit to drive again after just a few hours after consuming THC, even though the THC level in their blood is still above the legal limit.

The psychoactive effect of THC is often only noticeable in the first few hours after consumption. After that, most users feel normal again and are fully able to carry out their usual activities - including driving. However, despite the decrease in effect, THC residues may be detectable in the blood or urine for longer. In practice, this means that you may feel able to drive again for a long time while the THC blood level is still above the permitted limit. There are enough bizarre cases in Switzerland to illustrate this: No longer smoking pot - but still tested positive | Observer

It is therefore important to understand that although the legal limit is intended to minimise the risk, it does not always reflect the individual reality of consumers. Nevertheless, if you want to be on the safe side, it is necessary for legal reasons to observe this limit in order to avoid fines or the loss of your driving licence.

(Important: However, it should also be pointed out here that the police cannot or may not carry out arbitrary checks for THC in the blood. Without concrete suspicion, the police have no reason to check you for THC in your blood on the following day of potential consumption and, provided you feel fully fit to drive (and are not carrying cannabis or other suspicious paraphernalia), you are unlikely to be stopped.)

(These waiting times are a conservative estimate based on average metabolic rates and consumption of THC. However, individual differences (metabolism, body fat percentage, frequency of use) may increase the time to cut down).


 

CBD products in the shop with THC

CBD products in the shop without THC