Trial of medical cannabis begins today in France

It's a «Mauricette» scenario. As with the launch of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, the trial of therapeutic cannabis begins is getting a lot of media coverage. Today, Olivier Véran is visiting Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital to witness the very first prescription of cannabis in France. But, as with vaccination, this is a symbolic departure for the cameras.

«Finally says Nicolas Authier, psychiatrist and pilot of this experiment, contacted this Friday by Newsweed. I'm very happy for the patients. Before, we were all about theory, now we're all going to discover how it works in real time. It's all going to be done with care.» This Friday at 2pm, he will be welcoming the Minister of Health to his hospital ward, for a meeting with the Chairman of the Board of Directors. «first symbolic prescription».

In front of journalists, the project participants want to reassure. « Everything has been done to ensure that the experiment is as safe as possible, at every level, says Nathalie Richard, head of the medical cannabis project at the Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament (ANSM). The drugs used in this experiment were selected by the ANSM, with very strict specifications, equivalent to a marketing file.»

Cascading delays, untrained doctors and missing vaporizers

Initially, the was due to start... at the end of 2019. But it suffered from a series of delays and a lack of interest, even resistance, from health authorities. Firstly, the protagonists highlight the «strikes» and push back the start date to January 2021. At the time, a article published in Le Parisien even urged public authorities to hurry up. «It's part of the game with politics. Especially at a time when covid was taking up a lot of space.», says Nicolas Authier, first signatory. of this text. Members of parliament also sound the alarm. In a report, they denounce a «worrying delay». In the end, the date of March 31, 2021 will be the right one, imposed by decree, for a launch whatever the cost.

Now that the experiment is officially underway, «it's going to happen gradually», says Mr Authier. The main risk of delays is the training of healthcare professionals. Before picking up their pen to write a prescription for medical cannabis, white-coats will have to attend a 2.5-hour course given online by the ANSM. Not an easy task, in a context of covid-19 and vaccination. «Doctors are used to dealing with several subjects at the same time. Are we trained? No. We need information. But we'll find it, I think.« says Jacques Battistoni, President of the MG France general practitioners' union, contacted by Newsweed.

Another delay: dried cannabis flowers. The ANSM has just just launched a call for tenders to find a vaporizer supplier on March 15. The 3,000 patients are forbidden to smoke the flowers in a joint, for example. They can only be taken by oil or by vaporization. As a result, medical flower prescriptions will not begin until June.