ANSM announces the creation of a French committee on therapeutic cannabis

Agnès Buzyn had announced last May the launch of an internal mission to investigate the feasibility of making medical cannabis available in France. In all likelihood, the subject has not been buried.

ANSM has just announced the creation of a Temporary Specialized Scientific Committee (CSST) to «evaluate the relevance and feasibility of making therapeutic cannabis available in France».

This CSST, appointed for one year, will be tasked with evaluating «the therapeutic value of cannabis in the treatment of certain pathologies» and «the ways in which cannabis can be made available for medical use».

Agnès Buzyn had declared for the use of «therapeutic cannabis cigarettes» (including the sale of dried flowers, as in Germany), should they prove useful.

The committee will base its deliberations on «an analysis of all available scientific data and the experience of other countries that have already implemented it, taking into account the patient's point of view», in contrast to recent press releases. MILDECA or of the DACG.

The members of this structure have yet to be appointed, but representatives from associations, healthcare professionals and the humanities should at least be auditioned.

The committee is due to submit its initial conclusions before the end of the year, with a first meeting scheduled for October.

Medical cannabis has been legal in France since 2013, but no cannabis-based treatment is available. Visit Sativex had in fact received a Marketing Authorization from the French authorities. (AMM) in 2014, but the government blocked its commercialization on the pretext of a price war. Since then, the simple use of cannabis is still penalized, even for medical purposes, as shown by a recent case in which a dying cancer patient had her compassionate plantation destroyed.