Medical cannabis experiment extended by 6 months to allow patients to «wean off» the drug»

Bad news hidden in good news. Or the other way around.

The French Ministry of Health has announced a six-month extension the’experimentation with therapeutic cannabis in progress, launched in March 2021 will normally be 2 years before its generalization. This decision will offer a short respite for the 1,800 patients suffering of serious chronic illnesses and currently treated with cannabis medication.

Brief history of the experience

Initially led by former health minister Olivier Véran, the experiment marked an advance in the French approach to medical marijuana. It has made it possible to provide patients with cannabinoid-based medications for conditions such as multiple sclerosis, l’epilepsy and palliative care for cancer. Despite positive results, the program encountered significant political and bureaucratic obstacles.

The current extension, signed by the Minister of Health Geneviève Darrieussecq, guarantees continuity of treatment until July 1, 2025. This decision is accompanied by a warning: it must be used «with a view to weaning or seeking alternatives.».

You're welcome relieve patients in the long term So, without any expectation of generalization.

Although 22 EU countries have already legalized medical cannabis, France is not moving forward, or is even regressing.

The Pr Nicolas Authier expressed his frustration to Libération, emphasizing that «the effectiveness of these drugs no longer needs to be proven.» He lamented the lack of political will, attributing the stagnation to «intellectual laziness» and «dogmatism» within the Macron administration.

It also highlights the growing influence of Ministry of the Interior and Interministerial Mission for the Fight Against Drugs and Addictive Behaviors (MILDECA), who would have prioritized recreational cannabis concerns over the medical needs of patients.

Nicolas Authier condemned MILDECA labeled «inhumane» and «incompetent,» accusing her of hindering progress with unfounded fears that the medical program would become a gateway to recreational legalization.

The results of the medical cannabis experiment were extremely positive. A report from the Directorate-General for Health, published in November 2023, highlighted «a statistically significant and sustained improvement in pain» in participating patients.

Despite these results, key regulatory steps – such as the drafting of decrees and obtaining validation from the Council of State and the European Union – have still not been taken, even though they were ready to be sent to the European Commission last July.

The lack of follow-up has left patients uncertain, with no guarantee of continued access to treatments beyond the current extension. Furthermore, the February 2024 decision to’stop distributing cannabis flowers for inhalation is another sign of the government's weakening commitment to advancing the use of cannabis for medical purposes

The next six months will determine whether France can turn its temporary reprieve into a significant step towards full legalization or if it will continue to stall, leaving thousands of patients – an estimated minimum of 300,000 people who could be treated with cannabis or its derivatives – without viable options.

There was the France of Voltaire and the Enlightenment. There is now the France of’Anslinger (the architect of the cannabis prohibition in the United States), of Nancy Reagan and of Nixon.