top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon

France authorises medical cannabis in two-year trial

Medical cannabis is to become available for certain patients in France after the Assemblée Nationale this week authorised a two-year trial of the drug.

The government voted through the trial on Friday October 25, as part of the 2020 social security proposals. It was put forward by MP Olivier Véran.

Medical safety agency ANSM (Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé) has already approved the plans.

The trial means that patients deemed to be at a “treatment impasse”, who are not responding to existing treatment, could be eligible to be prescribed cannabis on a “therapeutic” basis.

It will also allow doctors to gather evidence of any possible side effects, and to review the risk of addiction, experts say.

Trial patients might be suffering from certain forms of treatment-resistant epilepsy, neuropathic pain that does not respond to other treatment, involuntary muscle spasms, and/or other nervous system conditions.

The drug may also be prescribed for people suffering from side effects of chemotherapy, or who are at a stage where they require palliative care only.

So far, however, the drug will not be prescribed in cigarette or “joint” form. It will either be inhaled or ingested, with delivery options including oils, dried flowers, capsules, drops or a drink.

Doctors will be able to join the trial on a voluntary basis, and they will receive extra training on the drug through an online course.

Catherine Simonin, spokesperson for patient advocacy union France Asso Santé and the vice-president of anti-cancer group la Ligue Contre le Cancer, told news source FranceInfo: “We are in favour of this test, on the condition that it is monitored by a medical team.

“It is not ethical to let patients who cannot be sedated or soothed by existing medicines to suffer. People for whom pain leaves them no quality of life.

“There are definite benefits [of cannabis] …for people whose pain is not helped by existing medicines. But we must identify all of the side effects, including those that may be serious. There is also the risk of addiction, and we must be sure that there is no lessening of its impact, and that there are no risks for certain organs.”

Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Healthcare in France*
Featured Help Guide
- Understand the French healthcare system, how you access it and how you are reimbursed - Useful if you are new to the French healthcare system or want a more in-depth understanding - Reader question and answer section Aimed at non-French nationals living here, the guide gives an overview of what you are (and are not) covered for. There is also information for second-home owners and regular visitors.
Get news, views and information from France