The French Academy of Medicine criticizes medical cannabis trials

These doctors won't be vacationing together this summer. The imminent arrival of medical cannabis in France continues to divide white-coats. The latest episode: a scathing press release from the Académie de médecine and the Académie de pharmacie... and an equally scathing response from the doctor in charge of the experiment installation in spring 2021.

« L’experimentation at course aimed at à justify use therapeutic from cannabis derogates at requirements methodology, safety and ethics which steadinessthe evaluation of any drug candidate», blame academics, whose role is to advise the President and the government on public health policy.

For several years now, the Académie de Médecine has been vehemently opposed to medical cannabis, even more to possible legalization of cannabis. It even rejects the term «medical cannabis», as it considers the plant ineffective.

Today, she criticizes the methodology of the full-scale trial of medical cannabis. It is being carried out in the absence « of a clinical trial hikebet ». In other words, one group of patients receives an active ingredient, the other a placebo. According to the academics, this is the only way « evaluate d’ae at satisfactory the balance benefits/risks a candidate medication, in the interest of patients».».

«They have the right to give their opinion, but it's not listened to».»

A stance that irritates Nicolas Authier, head of the experiment: «They have the right to give their opinion, but it turns out that their opinion is not listened to, he tells Newsweed. The decrees on medical cannabis are coming out one after the other, and the machine is up and running, despite the positions they've taken. I think they should be taken with distance and very little interest.»

The professor of psychiatry also tackles a «group of academics» which «offer communiqués that are as scientific as they are moral».».

Last grievance: according to Authier, academics opposed to medical cannabis «never had patients in front of them». For him, they are essentially toxicologists or biologists. « Because of their medical inexperience, they can't measure what we're doing. It's not a reproach, but they don't start from a good position. It's like asking me to talk about cardiology».

The experiment will last another year, until spring 2023. At present, 1,500 French patients are being treated with medical cannabis, i.e. half of the available places.