Medical Cannabis: «The launch of experimentation is worryingly behind schedule».»

In a progress report by the Fact-Finding Mission on Cannabis, lawmakers condemn the «alarming delay» in the pilot program.

«In practical terms, the delay in publishing the decree directly affects several key steps: the referral to the CNIL, which must first authorize the electronic registry. Similarly, while the training modules for healthcare professionals have already been prepared, they will not be available until after the decree is published. The delay also affects the selection of suppliers and distributors, as the specifications that will allow them to submit bids cannot be provided until then,» the document states.

The report points the finger at the many stakeholders who, one after another, are blocking the administrative progress of the pilot program: yesterday the DGS and now the Council of State. Once the decree is published, the CNIL will have to rule on the patient registry. It has two months to do so, renewable once.

In light of these delays, the report adds that most members of the CST on medical cannabis are disillusioned and have publicly expressed their doubts on the proper conduct of the pilot program.

Another sticking point is the lack of cannabis cultivation in France: «The mission found that no consideration had been given to developing a French medical cannabis industry. The mission members therefore call for an accelerated and more proactive interministerial dialogue on this issue,» particularly to reduce reliance on costly imports and ensure national sovereignty in this rapidly growing market.

The 10 Recommendations in the Progress Report on Medical Cannabis

In light of these past and future challenges, the report sets forth 10 proposals, with a clear commitment to moving quickly:

• Publish the decree authorizing the launch of the pilot program and avoid any further delays
• To ensure that the process is conducted impartially, forgo the free-of-charge option and determine the budget required to carry out the pilot project
• Promote interministerial dialogue to facilitate the development of a fully French medical cannabis industry
• Include in the Public Health Code the provision to produce, transport, manufacture, import, export, possess, offer, transfer, acquire, and use the entire cannabis plant, as well as varieties containing more than 0.2 % of THC, in order to allow, within a framework established by decree, the provision of cannabis-based treatments to patients suffering from a list of medical conditions also established by decree
• Strictly adhere to the trial criteria initially defined by the CSST
• Begin a discussion now on the status of various medical cannabis products to ensure that these treatments can be integrated into a care pathway that allows for their reimbursement
• Begin a discussion on expanding the scope for prescribing medical cannabis for conditions other than those selected for the pilot program
• Include cannabis prescribing and patient care in the multi-year priority guidelines for continuing professional development, and expand the training efforts currently intended solely for physicians to all healthcare personnel
• Entrust a public agency with the regulation of medical cannabis, responsible for overseeing the cultivation, quality, processing, and storage of products
• Strengthen research on the effects of THC on users’ cognitive abilities in order to develop appropriate tests and establish a threshold below which, for patients using cannabis in a legal therapeutic setting, driving may be permitted