Second medical cannabis product out of stock

After the out-of-stock condition of the most prescribed product in the experimentation of therapeutic cannabis, the health authorities recommended a CBD:THC 20:1 oil. Unluckily - or unanticipated - the 20:1 oil was announced out of stock on the morning of Wednesday April 19.

Is this the end of the experiment? In any case, it sends out a very worrying signal.

«We're in a transitional situation where we've run out of products,» laments Prof. Authier to the Quotidien du Médecin. «It's a very negative signal: we're going to have trouble keeping healthcare professionals involved in the experiment,» he predicts.

Having run out of CBD 50 oil supplied by Australia's Little Green Pharma (LGP), the professor was able to fall back on 20:1 oil, also supplied by LGP, for certain patients suffering from resistant neuropathic pain.

«And now I'm going to be stuck, because I'll just have to offer them a balanced ratio of THC and CBD. he points out. I also have patients who can't tolerate THC, and I have nothing left to offer them.»

An information meeting is to be held this Friday April 21 at the DGS on the status of therapeutic cannabis, its possible reimbursement and eventual legalization. As he described at a recent conference at the French National Assembly, decisions must be taken quickly if we are not to miss the boat on generalization.

«We need to reach a decision before the summer,» says Prof. Authier. «If not, it will be too late to bring cannabis into common law with the next PLFSS.»

As for the reason for the stock shortage, the role of the Direction Générale de la Santé (DGS) is once again singled out.

«The calls for tender were issued too late,» says Prof. Authier. «We're going from one administrative error to another,» he laments.

Little Green Pharma, which supplies the two discontinued products, did not wish to renew its contract for another year, the first two years having cost it around 10 million euros, according to our information.

Today, the DGS is trying to limit the damage done after having failed to allocate all lots in an initial call for tenders aimed at extending the first 2 years of the experiment. A second call for tenders is currently underway to replace the supplier and/or the CBD 50 oil that failed in the first place. Before a third tender for 20:1 oil?