Swiss hemp market: CBD producers under pressure

Switzerland's market for hemp with less than 1% THC is worth around CHF 100 million a year, but the number of CBD producers keeps falling. That was the picture painted on 31 May 2026 by RSI, drawing on an RTS report from 30 May filmed at the CannaTrade fair in Zurich: from more than a thousand producers during the CBD boom, only about a hundred are said to remain. Those still in business are betting on Swiss quality to compete with cheaper foreign products.

In brief

• According to the report, the domestic market for low-THC hemp is worth around CHF 100 million and supports thousands of jobs.
• CBD producers are said to have fallen from more than 1,000 to around 100: an estimate by the CannaTrade organiser, not an official figure.
• The black market is put at CHF 580 million, almost six times as much, according to a University of Geneva estimate cited in the report.

The picture painted by RTS

CannaTrade, the hemp fair founded in Zurich in 2001, took place from 29 to 31 May 2026 at Halle 622 in Zurich-Oerlikon. According to Hanf Magazin, the 25th-anniversary edition had around 150 exhibitors. The RTS report, taken up by RSI, recalls that Switzerland was a European pioneer in the CBD market from 2016.

Ten years on, the sector is smaller and more competitive. A representative of the industry association IG Hanf (CI Chanvre) told RTS that the Swiss sector remains a major player but has to fight to keep its market share against cheaper products made in countries with lower production costs. Like the watch industry, Swiss producers are therefore betting on quality and the Swiss made label.

The report cites the example of a French-speaking Swiss company specialising in CBD resin, which buys up leftover hemp plant material and sieves it to obtain resin. It is one of the ways businesses are trying to get more value out of local raw material.

Regulated market and black market

The gap with the black market remains wide. RTS cites a University of Geneva estimate that puts the black market for cannabis at CHF 580 million, almost six times the market for low-THC hemp. According to the fair's organiser, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of unlicensed growers in Switzerland.

On Swiss agricultural hemp, see also Swiss hemp in 2026: a small area and organic seeds at twice the price.

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Swiss market for hemp with less than 1% THC?

According to the RTS report taken up by RSI on 31 May 2026, around CHF 100 million a year. The University of Geneva puts the black market for cannabis at CHF 580 million.

How many CBD producers are there in Switzerland?

The sources consulted give no official figure. The CannaTrade organiser estimates there are around 100 today, compared with more than 1,000 during the CBD boom.

How are Swiss producers responding to cheaper foreign products?

They are betting on quality and the Swiss made label, like the watch industry. The RTS report cites a French-speaking Swiss company that obtains CBD resin by sieving leftover hemp plant material.

When and where did CannaTrade 2026 take place?

From 29 to 31 May 2026 at Halle 622 in Zurich-Oerlikon. According to Hanf Magazin, the 25th-anniversary edition had around 150 exhibitors.

Sources

• RSI – Cannabis legale: i produttori svizzeri sotto pressione, 31 May 2026
• Hanf Magazin – CannaTrade 2026: 25 Jahre europäische Hanfgeschichte – Jubiläumsmesse kehrt nach Zürich zurück, 24 April 2026

Updated on 12 October 2026.