How legal is medical cannabis in France?

The latest Agnès Buzyn on France Inter have rekindled French patients' hopes of real access to therapeutic cannabis. It has been legal since 2013, but is still not available.

«France has fallen behind in the field of research on the medical marijuana. There's no reason to exclude cannabis from treating this pain. It could happen in France,» said the Minister of Health.

The legalization of medical cannabis can take many forms. Here are the different possible models for legalizing medical cannabis in France.

Pharmaceuticals only

The most restrictive option: authorize only pharmaceutical groups to use cannabis and distribute it in galenic forms. Cultivation would be entrusted to licensed producers, while the transformation of cannabis into medicine would take place within laboratories. Cannabis-based medicines (sprays, capsules, oils, etc.) would be distributed by pharmacies on the basis of a prescription.

CBD for therapeutic purposes could only be sold by authorized dispensaries, which would not, however, extinguish the interest in having stores selling CBD products with no official therapeutic value, flowers included.

Pharmacy and flowers

Image Germany, The model for regulating medical cannabis in France could include the prescription distribution of cannabis flowers, in addition to existing or future medicines. The flowers could be imported from Canada or the Netherlands, pending the introduction of French production of therapeutic cannabis, as requested by Creuse. Cannabis growers would then have to apply to the regulatory authority for a cultivation license and distribute their harvest to approved processors.

Dispensing at this level can be done in pharmacies, on presentation of a doctor's prescription. In Germany, medical cannabis is even reimbursed for the most serious pathologies.

Pharmacy, flowers, dispensaries and self-cultivation

The most open form of medical cannabis regulation would allow access to medical cannabis in pharmacies and private dispensaries, and authorize self-cultivation for sick people.

Access to medical cannabis would still be triggered by a prescription, to curb access to cannabis and avoid falling into the excesses of the old Californian model, which issued prescriptions for 40$ and virtually any pathology (the California has legalized cannabis since).

Consumption could be restricted to patients' homes and smoking areas.

Points of vigilance

There are as many cannabis legalization models legalized countries. However, there are a number of points to bear in mind, in the light of the different models in force:

• creation of a Cannabis Regulatory Agency: this body would be responsible for distributing permits to grow, process or distribute cannabis, and for setting up procedures for accessing and checking prescriptions
• regulation for patients: the price of medical cannabis is a major barrier to entry, as is the fact that only pharmaceutical products are available. The access process must also be simple and clear for both doctors and patients.
• immediate effect: patients need immediate access to their medicines, with potentially an intermediate period during which they can supply themselves without being criminalized
• domestic production: to keep the cost of medical cannabis as low as possible, ideally it should be produced by French growers. Domestic production would create jobs and, let's dream, revenue for export, while driving down the price of cannabis in pharmacies and diversifying the product offering. Production could authorize micro-cultivation, with a simplified licensing process.
• self-cultivation: allowing patients to grow their own plants gives them fast, natural and inexpensive access to cannabis, without having to go through the black market.