The Académie de Médecine still supports cannabis prohibition

In a press release issued on April 9, the’Academy of Medicine reiterated its position prohibitionist stance on cannabis, citing a select range of public health concerns and international studies to support its position while deliberately omitting the harm caused by prohibition.

The Academy of Medicine had also opposed to the use of medical cannabis for experimental purposes. One of its members He also recently called for «sterilizing drug addicts,» prompting the Academy to issue a a brief statement to distance oneself from those remarks in the face of backlash from healthcare professionals.

An explicit warning against legalization

«Legalizing the recreational use of cannabis would cause serious public health problems,» warned the’Academy of Medicine in a press release that reads more like a policy recommendation than an actual warning.

This isn't the first time that the institution takes a position on the issue. Previous statements in 2021 and 2023 had laid the groundwork for its opposition, but recent data, according to the Academy, have only «confirmed the problems that have arisen in countries that have legalized cannabis.».

The document, described as «particularly incisive» by Quentin Haroche in his article for The Physician's Daily, lists a series of troubling findings observed in countries in North and South America that have opted for the legalization of recreational cannabis, including the Canada, theUruguay and miscellaneous American states.

According to the Academy, the’impact on public health The impact of legalization has been anything but neutral. Citing Canadian data, the Academy highlights an increase in 12 to 22% hospitalizations related to cannabis use among adults in Ontario, and a multiplication by three of the hospital admissions among children children aged 0 to 9 due to the accidental ingestion of cannabis-based products.

With regard to road safety, the Academy reports a a doubling of the number of drivers who tested positive for THC after being hospitalized following accidents in Canada after legalization.

The impact on mental health is reportedly even more alarming: «The proportion of new cases of schizophrenia associated with cannabis use rose from 3.7 % before legalization to 10.3 % after legalization,» with young men aged 19 to 24 identified as the most vulnerable group. Among adolescents aged 12 to 19, the risk of developing psychotic disorders is said to have increased elevenfold.

Challenging the Pro-Regulation Narrative

L’Academy of Medicine also directly addresses the Parliamentary Report No. 974, filed on February 17, 2025, which advocates for legalization and suggests that it could provide access to substitution therapies for at-risk users. The Academy categorically disputes this claim: «No such treatment exists yet, neither for cannabis nor for cocaine.».

Furthermore, she disputes the idea that legalization would help dismantle the illegal cannabis market or to reduce overall consumption. On the contrary, the Academy asserts that the Legal cannabis has not managed to overtake sales illegal products, which remain more competitive in terms of price due to the lack of taxation, preferring Do not cite the Canadian results where between 75 and 95% of cannabis purchases are now made on the legal market.

«In the United States, where we already have a fairly long track record, the number of consumers has increased twentyfold, rising from 0.9 million in 1992—before legalization—to 17.7 million after legalization in many states,» the press release notes.

The notion that regulation would allow for better control of THC levels is also being challenged. In Uruguay, for example, the THC level in cannabis authorized by the government is said to have gone from 2% at the time of legalization at 15% today.

«How can we get people who are used to doses of 15 or 20% to consume cannabis in low doses?» the Academy asks. We’re wondering the same thing!

A Political «Paradox» and a Call for Prevention

One of the most ideologically charged criticisms concerns the idea that the Legalization could support prevention efforts, especially among young people.

The Academy sees this as a dangerous contradiction: «It is paradoxical to propose legalization for the purpose of prevention—and even to fund it,» arguing that legal access for adults would inevitably normalize consumption among adolescents, which is not the case, however, in the country, States or provinces where cannabis has been legalized.

The institution therefore recommends the continuation of the ban cannabis in France and urges the authorities to develop prevention and awareness campaigns, particularly among young people. France is already recording the the highest rate of cannabis use in Europe and the Academy believes that any relaxation of the law would only exacerbate this trend. The example of countries that have legalized it suggests the opposite: there, consumption among young people has never been lower, in British Columbia, for example.

A Divided Medical Community

If the’Academy of Medicine Although it has positioned itself as the guardian of orthodoxy in public health, not all members of the medical community agree with its stance. The Collective for a New Drug Policy (CNPD), which includes organizations such as Doctors of the World, the Addiction Federation and SOS Addictions, issued a press release that same week challenging what he called «France’s exclusively punitive approach to the drug issue.».

Calling for a shift toward a health-centered social model, the CNPD condemned the stigmatization of users and called for «the immediate exploration of alternative models for regulating narcotics, which have already been tested in several countries.» This call reflects a broader trend within certain sectors of the medical and social services fields, which recognize that prohibition has failed to protect public health and has, on the contrary, contributed to the’social exclusion and criminalization.

Between scientific silence and ideological rigidity?

We contacted the Academy and asked the following questions:

•  The press release assumes that supporters of cannabis legalization believe it does not pose a public health problem. Can you tell me what this assumption is based on?
• Does the Academy believe that the ban on cannabis protects young people and adult users?
• Does the Academy believe that banning cannabis will help curb its use?
• Does the Academy believe that a ban on cannabis prevents trafficking and its impact on public health (adulterated, unregulated products, synthetic cannabinoids, etc.)?
• When the Academy says that «the black market hasn’t disappeared» following various legalizations around the world, does the Academy prefer a black market of 100%, as in France, or 25%, as is the case in Canada?

Despite a brief text message exchange with her communications director, we did not receive a response. Our columns are, of course, open to providing the necessary context for her statement: Does the French Academy of Medicine ultimately consider France’s cannabis ban to be effective in protecting public health and young French people—who are the heaviest cannabis users in Europe?