A new timetable announced for the deployment of medical cannabis in France

After a countless incomprehensible postponements, French health authorities have announced a new timetable for the pre-deployment of medical cannabis.

At the heart of this relaunch is the imminent presentation of the decree enabling the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) to evaluate the reimbursement of cannabis-based medicines, as well as the publication of texts authorizing accredited companies to enter fully into the marketing phase.

During the discussions organized on the sidelines of Cannabis Europa Paris 2026, we received confirmation that the teams of the previous Minister of Health, Yannick Neuder, had «forgotten» to sign the expected decree. avoidable delay which has further delayed patients' access to a permanent setting.

This announcement follows the consultation meeting on February 18, 2026, organized by the Direction générale de la santé (DGS) and the Social Security Department (DSS). The authorities have indicated that they intend to finalize, with stakeholders, the draft decree governing HAS evaluation within a month, with publication planned for the end of June.

Two other decrees, ready to go, should be published simultaneously. These will enable authorized companies to move beyond the strict R&D framework and begin the marketing process. If the timetable is adhered to, the final opinion of the HAS is expected in October or November 2026. In the event of a positive assessment, the first prescriptions under the common law regime could be issued in 2027, a presidential election year and therefore a ready-made excuse for doing nothing.

The reimbursement issue

To simplify matters, the proposed reimbursement model is based on a four-tier structure: 65% for a major therapeutic benefit, 30% for a moderate benefit, 10% for a minor benefit and 0% in the event of medical service deemed insufficient.

In practice, as we wrote in our 2025 report on medical cannabis in France, However, the percentages given do not necessarily reflect the final cost borne by patients. A large proportion of eligible patients suffer from long-term illnesses (ALD), entitling them to 100% reimbursement of % by the French health insurance system. The exact application of this principle to cannabis-based medicines remains under discussion.

Pricing will be structured according to homogeneous product categories. Specialties will be grouped according to their pharmaceutical form, composition and clinical characteristics, with a single price set for each category. This price will be valid for three years, with the possibility of upward or downward revision if new clinical data emerge.

This mechanism is already raising questions in the sector. The absence of price differentiation and the ban on promotion will limit competitive leverage. In this context, competition could focus mainly on production costs. Operators with high costs, and in particular certain foreign players faced with the demands of the French pharmaceutical model, may find it difficult to catch up. Conversely, oils imported from countries with low production costs could gain a competitive advantage over products manufactured in France.

From experimentation to widespread use

As the Mado Gilanton, President of the Apaiser S&C association, it took «7 years and 6 months after the ANSM's initial work» for France to start moving towards the widespread use of medical cannabis, following a nationwide trial intended to last three years and designed to validate the circuit for dispensing medical cannabis to patients.

During this period, only 2,761 patients were recruited. In addition to validating the prescription circuit, two official evaluations reported significant symptom improvement, particularly in people suffering from cancer-related pain, drug-resistant epilepsy and chronic pain not relieved by existing therapies. No unexpected side effects were observed.

Today, some 700 patients are continuing their treatment under a derogatory arrangement. A ministerial accompanying letter initially guaranteed continuity of care until March 31, 2026. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist will extend this measure until December 31, 2026, to avoid any interruption while the regulatory framework is finalized.

More 400,000 patients in France could be eligible with current pathologies that can legally be treated as a last resort.

A strategic moment for France?

The presentation of the reimbursement model coincided with the return of Cannabis Europa in Paris for the second edition after 2019. Opening the event, Stephen Murphy, CEO of Prohibition Partners, We have moved from the question of whether medical cannabis is legitimate to the question of actually putting medical cannabis in the hands of patients,« he told those present. He added that »France is probably, in my opinion, one of the most important European debates of this year.«

The coming months will determine whether France can translate regulatory clarity into operational reality. And given the number of times generalization has been announced, new developments cannot be ruled out.