Cannabis-based medicines were authorized in France by the Social Security Financing Law (LFSS) in 2024. Marketing is planned for 2025, but several stages, including European consultation, remain to be completed. If in Creuse some hope for the establishment of an industrial agricultural sector, others are discouraged by its production cost.
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“We are no longer in the perspective of real entry into common law at the start of 2025, but rather in the perspective of an extension of the experiment, because the implementing texts have not yet been published”explains Nicolas Authier, psychiatrist and pharmacologist at Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital. The professor chairs the scientific committee for the French experiment on access to cannabis for medical use. According to him, effective entry into the law is not possible for the start of 2025 but “maybe” for the end of the year.
Since March 27, 2024, no new patients can enter the experiment. Only those who were included before this date can continue to benefit from prescriptions and dispensing of cannabis-based medicines. “An amendment was tabled today in the National Assembly so that the experiment can be extended at a minimum for treated patients. So that it does not stop (for them, editor’s note)”he adds.
If work on cannabis for medical use began in September 2018 with the creation of a multidisciplinary scientific committee, it was in October 2019 that the National Assembly gave the green light to an experiment on the use of medical cannabis . The first patient was included on March 26, 2021 and since then French health establishments, including Guéret Hospital, have joined this trial. In total, thousands of patients are participating in this test in France.
This experiment aims to assess the feasibility of making a cannabis-based medicine securely available in France.
The experiment was not carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of cannabis but to ensure that there was optimal safety in the delivery of cannabis. And whether it can be dispensed by pharmacists in a secure manner.
Marlène Amilhaud-Bordieralgologist, at the Guéret CH pain consultation
According to the president of the scientific committee, the evaluation reports – still in progress – over two years, highlight positive results. The Social Security Financing Act (LFSS) validated it in 2024. It now remains for the texts to be consulted at the European level so that the orders and implementing decrees can trigger the implementation of the drugs. Initially scheduled for the beginning of 2025, it should be delayed, but will take place.
A century ago, Creuse was the leading French producer of industrial hemp. In the department, today, hemp is cultivated for textiles or to produce CBD. With the legalization of medical cannabis, elected officials hope to create a new economic dynamic in the region. “I am still campaigning for the establishment of an industrial agricultural sector which makes it possible to produce this therapeutic cannabis in France, and thus allow agricultural diversification with additional income and jobs to be created in France”reacts Eric Correia, president of the Grand Guéret urban community. The elected official has been defending for several years the possibility of producing cannabis for medicine in France and in his department.
Jouany Chatoux, a farmer in Gentioux-Pigerolles, started growing cannabis with his partners. He is now a producer of wellness hemp in Creuse and says he is ready to produce medical cannabis. But faced with the costs, he doesn't know if he can. “To be simple, a vial produced in France will cost 600 euros compared to 15 euros abroad”he regrets.
In France, it is the Ministry of the Interior which has taken control of the matter. (…) We talk about sovereignty, about trying to ensure that medicines are relocated to France and in fact, we give the market to foreign companies.
Jouany ChatouxFarmer in Gentioux-Pigerolles
“It requires very significant investments. For the moment this sector cannot be developed due to lack of texts. For the moment no one can install therapeutic cannabis because the texts have not yet been published. Except in the context of research“, explains Nicolas Authier.
For the moment, cannabis-based medicines are manufactured in Canada, Israel and Australia, countries which inspired this experiment. In Europe, 24 countries have already legalized the use of medical cannabis such as Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Finland, Italy, Greece and Slovenia.
Cannabis-based medications will be an additional therapeutic means to respond to patients in therapeutic impasse. The patients concerned are those suffering from multiple sclerosis, neuropathy pain, cancers, severe forms of epilepsy or even in palliative care.
“It's an additional tool in the therapeutic arsenal. It wasn't miraculous. It made you feel better, that's for sure, but in the few people I had it made it possible to feel better, be less stressed or anxious but no effects on the pain component Except for one patient.testifies Marlène Amilhaud-Bordier who has followed several patients. She is currently still following two in the experiment at the Guéret CH.
According to her, the introduction of cannabis-based medicines into circulation is positive but hopes that minimal training for prescribers will be carried out: “People need to access this training”she insists.
