After a short delay, Olivier Véran, the French Minister of Solidarity and Health, signed a decree to start a pilot program to provide patients with free medical cannabis.
The launch was originally scheduled to go ahead in 2020, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it has been postponed until early 2021, the ministry and the French Medicines Agency (ANSM) announced this summer.
The pilot would last approximately six months and will involve approximately 3.000 patients suffering from serious conditions, such as chronic pain and epilepsy.
With the regulations completed and application requirements for businesses and organizations published this week, the next step is to choose the suppliers. The deadline for interested parties is November 24.
While some believed that one of the benefits of this program was that the suppliers could potentially be the first in the cannabis market once the French authorities legalize the drug, the decree stated otherwise.
In addition, it will be a closely monitored schedule, as the suppliers will have to fill out a number of forms and they will be assessed by a points system.
Free medical cannabis from March 2021
The first prescription is expected to be fulfilled by the end of March 2021. To be eligible, only patients with the following diseases and conditions would be able to participate in the pilot program:
Refractory neuropathic pain, certain forms of drug resistant epilepsy, certain intractable symptoms in oncology related to the treatment of cancer or cancer pain, palliative situations, painful spasticity from multiple sclerosis or other pathologies of the central nervous system.
According to the ministry, cannabis would be given to patients in the form of dried cannabis flowers and oils.
Experts believed that the program could be a huge step forward as medical cannabis is not available in the country.
While the French authorities take a slightly different tone when it comes to the drug's supposed medicinal benefits, in reality cannabis should only be used on prescription from doctors or health professionals.
In addition, all products must be approved by the National Medical Safety Agency (NMSA). If the pilot program works, it could result in a more relaxed approach to the drug in the future.
Although full legalization in France still seems very far, clear progress is being made under Emmanuel Macron, the incumbent French president.
Sources include AnalyticalCannabis (EN), Canex (EN), HappyMag (EN), TheExtract(EN)
