Medical Cannabis: 14 Organizations Finally Call for Enforcement of the Law

Following our previous article on regulations governing medical cannabis, still stuck at the Ministry of Health, patients are taking the initiative. Fourteen organizations have sent a Open Letter to the Prime Minister, calling on the government to resolve an issue that will determine the future of access to medical cannabis in France.

Their message can be summed up in one phrase: «100,000 patients can’t wait any longer.» According to the organizations, this figure represents the number of people who could benefit from treatments for the indicated conditions.

Another Delay for Medical Cannabis in France

The French system remains on hold pending the publication of several decrees and orders. The legislative framework was, however, adopted by Parliament in December 2023, following a pilot program launched in 2021. But nearly three years later, the regulations necessary for its implementation have still not been published.

This situation is now having tangible consequences for the schedule. The hearings held by the French National Authority for Health (HAS) The meetings scheduled for October 20 and 21, 2026, to evaluate cannabis-based medications have been postponed because the decree required for the committee to continue its work has not been issued.

This setback also undermines the goal of making medications available in January 2027, a schedule that had been presented to the organizations.

The organizations are calling for the immediate publication of the texts

In their letter, the organizations point out that the guidelines and procedures for prescribing and dispensing have already been addressed during the pilot program. They therefore believe that the issue is no longer at the stage of a debate over the principle of medical marijuana, but rather on the implementation of the adopted framework.

«Parliament has spoken. The legislative framework is in place. The guidelines have been established; the ANSM has begun its work; and the Haute Autorité de Santé is awaiting a referral to begin its own work. Currently, progress on this work is on hold due to the lack of published decrees and orders.»

The organizations are therefore calling for the «immediate publication of the implementing decree and its accompanying orders,» which have been reviewed by the Council of State in July 2025, as well as the decree necessary for the Transparency Commission to continue its evaluation, which had been announced to be submitted to the Council of State, with no certainty now.

Patients Still Stuck in a Transitional Period

The French experiment with the medical marijuana, which was launched in March 2021, officially ended in late 2024, with a transition period allowing patients still affected to continue their treatment. Approximately It is estimated that 650 patients are still enrolled in the study, compared with several thousand during the trial.

The relevant indications include, in particular, the refractory neuropathic pain, certain drug-resistant forms of epilepsy, severe painful spasticity, certain intractable symptoms in oncology, and palliative care situations. The associations emphasize that these are patients who have reached a therapeutic impasse, for whom the program provides for prescription and follow-up by healthcare professionals.

The group also warns of a possible consequence of this delay: «Without legal and safe access, some patients may be tempted to turn to the black market,» with the risks associated with a lack of product oversight and medical supervision.

All eyes are now on the government

In addition to the publication of the texts, the fourteen organizations are calling for a official schedule specifying the remaining regulatory steps, the date of completion of the HAS’s work, and the date when the first prescriptions will be issued.

The letter thus marks a new stage in a French initiative that has seen repeated delays. While the legal framework has been in place since 2023, the immediate challenge is no longer its adoption but its implementation through regulations. For the patients involved, the next critical milestone will therefore be whether or not the regulations are published, which will finally allow the French program to become operational.