Petition for medical cannabis: between public health and human rights

C&L - NORML France launches a petition for the use of cannabinoids in medicine. The organizers are hoping to gather 10,000 signatories so far..

A group of patient associations and healthcare professionals, backed by elected representatives such as Cécile Duflot, EELV MP, Esther Ben Bassa, EELV senator, and Jean Luc Romero, regional councillor, is calling for in-depth research into the use of therapeutic cannabis.

While the’Ireland, the United Kingdom, theItaly and theGermany are making great strides towards regulating medical cannabis, this debate remains non-existent in France. In June 2013, Health Minister Marisol Touraine authorized the marketing of cannabinoid-based treatments. However, they are still not available in French pharmacies.

Various politicians and associations will be unable to change anything as long as the academies of medicine and pharmacy remain totally opposed to the use of therapeutic cannabis, while many doctors remain divided when they are not under-informed. In countries where medical cannabinoids are being regulated, it has proved crucial for healthcare professionals, patients and doctors to join forces to put pressure on the political authorities.

The few doctors behind the petition are calling for patient safety: »We can't accept that some of our patients go outside the law to treat themselves with phytocannabinoids and manage their treatments on their own, without medical advice, control or supervision».»

The C&L - NORML France association is calling for action to ensure that the rights and dignity of patients are respected. The first signatories of this appeal point out that patients are put at risk when they have to obtain supplies on an illicit market.

The petition can be summed up in 5 points

1. Repeal of the’article L3421-4 (This article prevents anyone from presenting «in a favorable light» a product classified as a narcotic).
2. Decriminalizing the therapeutic use of hemp
3. Legal access to products already available on the European market.
4. Hemp's return to pharmacopoeia
5. The development of cannabinoid research in medicine.

The petition is available here >. http://cannabis-medical.wesign.it/fr, while the press release of this appeal, supported by C&L - NORML France can be found here.