French medical cannabis trials to begin in September

The timeline for France’s medical cannabis pilot program is gradually shifting toward the start of the 2020 school year, or even later, as expected.

During the initial hearings of the Information mission on cannabis, Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil, deputy director general of the ANSM, explained that “the goal is for the trial to be offered to patients in the fall of 2020,” “in September,” without specifying whether the 3,000 selected patients will already have access to medical cannabis by September or if that will merely mark the start of their inclusion in the use of medical cannabis, further delaying the process.

More work

The CST: «Implementation of the medical cannabis pilot program in France» is currently meeting to determine the distribution method for the products, how to ensure the security of prescriptions, and which products will be offered. Official distributors are expected to be selected by the end of February. And while there had been rumors that the ANSM was leaning toward cannabis donations to supply the trial, it appears that this is not an official requirement according to the ANSM FAQ.

Research on cannabis, however, is permitted, with the possibility of conducting clinical trials alongside experimental studies.

The Committee now needs to establish the prescription and distribution system, identify eligible patients, and train healthcare professionals. Regarding access to cannabis, the focus is not on centralized distribution but rather on stakeholders who volunteer to participate. Is all of this truly feasible in nine months, two of which are summer months?

While the strikes have not made it easy to hold CST meetings, French patients are still waiting for a legal solution.