France has taken a key step towards legalising medical cannabis with an administrative filing that revives the stalled process, following a successful three-year experiment on the prescription and distribution of the drug.
France on Wednesday formally notified the European Commission of its regulations on the production and authorisation of medical cannabis, a key administrative step towards finally fully legalising its use.
"It is a new step towards the development of a regulated access to medical cannabis in France," the Health Ministry said in a statement in which it extended access to the drug for the hundreds of patients involved in the experiment, through the end of March 2026.
The experiment ended in December 2024, and patients had initially been given a six-month extension, leading to concern from them and their doctors that they would be forced to find alternative treatments, which have proven difficult to find.
In 2023, lawmakers had voted to approve the sale of medical cannabis products for a five-year period, but the law was never acted because it required the Health Ministry to send it to the European Commission.
After months of uncertainty – and political chaos, with eight health ministers have been appointed since the start of the experiment in 2021 – the process is once again moving forward.
The move helps clarify the situation for manufacturers of cannabis extracts, who had geared up for production during the experiment but had been left in legal limbo when the process stalled.
"We remain mobilised to ensure the creation of a drug supply chain, with all those who have been involved from the beginning,” Ludovic Rachou, President of the Uivec union of cannabis extract manufacturers, said in a statement.
It could take several months for experts at the European Commission to finally approve the regulations, and then the French high health authority (HAS) will need to rule on how medical cannabis could eventually be covered by the public health insurance.
(with AFP)
