French Polynesia Is Finally Ready to Launch Its «Medical Cannabis» Pilot Program After Months of Delays

After a delay of more than a year, the French Polynesia is finally set to launch its pilot program for growing medical marijuana. The authorities have confirmed that training for the nine selected farmers will begin in early August, while the decree authorizing cultivation is expected to be presented to the Council of Ministers shortly. If the final administrative steps are completed on schedule, the first harvests are now expected in April 2027.

This project, designed to assess the feasibility of local production of low-THC cannabis (-0.3%) for medical purposes, has been repeatedly delayed, even though it was originally scheduled for mid-2025. Authorities now say that the regulatory and technical obstacles that were holding up this initiative have largely been resolved.

A Strict Regulatory Framework Before Planting

The pilot program will involve nine producers selected from among about sixty candidates from most of the archipelagos of French Polynesia. Each participant will receive 500 certified seeds and will cultivate a maximum area of 1,500 square meters, either outdoors or in suitable greenhouses.

From the outset, the authorities imposed strict eligibility criteria. Participants had to be established farmers with suitable land located away from public roads, schools, and places of worship, while also complying with safety and traceability requirements. The crops must also remain out of public view.

According to the Minister of Agriculture Taivini Teai, ensure compliance with the legal threshold of THC required additional work before planting could begin.

«We have identified the seeds most likely to have a THC content below 0.3 %. We have also trained our staff at the Ministry of Agriculture,» he told News from New Caledonia.

The authorities also wanted to ensure the reliability of the laboratory tests before distributing the seeds to farmers.

Months of delays have slowed down the project

In February 2026, officials announced that the pilot phase would begin during the first half of the year, following several months of preparation. At the time, the Ministry of Agriculture had indicated that training programs, inspections, and infrastructure upgrades were nearly complete.

The project is overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture (DAG) in collaboration with the Louis-Malardé Institute (ILM), responsible for analyzing samples and monitoring cannabinoid levels throughout the growing season. The institute will verify that the selected varieties consistently remain below the legal threshold of 0.3% of THC, while observing how local climates and soils influence CBD and THC concentrations.

Despite optimistic announcements, the program quickly stalled. The training sessions originally scheduled for April were postponed without a new date being confirmed, while the decree needed to authorize planting had still not been signed. By July, no seeds had yet been distributed, prompting criticism of the growing gap between political announcements and their implementation.

These delays also coincided with changes within the Ministry of Agriculture, notably the departure of its director amid internal labor disputes, further adding to the uncertainty surrounding the program’s timeline.

First harvests are expected in April 2027

In late July, the government announced that the final obstacles had finally been removed. Training for farmers is expected to begin immediately, while the regulatory decree is described as being «under development» prior to its presentation to the ministers.

«The program will finally be able to get underway, and the seeds will be distributed to farmers. The goal is to have the first harvests in April.»

In addition to meeting future medical needs, the pilot program will also assess how the selected varieties adapt to the various environmental conditions found in French Polynesia, including differences in humidity, salinity, and soil composition.

The results will determine whether a CBD production sector Regulation at the local level could eventually be expanded. For now, the initiative remains limited to research and observation, with ongoing monitoring designed to provide the scientific and regulatory data needed before a larger-scale industry can be considered.