France experimented for three and a half years with the use of therapeutic cannabis for certain serious illnesses.
The new Minister responsible for Health, Yannick Neuder, wishes to “study” this path with a view to generalization.
Will therapeutic cannabis be authorized in France? There is uncertainty in the early hours of 2025. Since March 2021, certain patients with serious illnesses can benefit from treatments based on cannabis for therapeutic purposes. But this is only an experiment with an initial duration of three years, ultimately extended until December 31, 2024. This deadline has now passed.
Therapeutic use under study, not recreational
The ball is in the government’s court. Questioned on the subject this Wednesday, January 1, the Minister Delegate in charge of Health, Yannick Neuder, declared that he wanted “to study” the path to medical cannabis. Patients currently in the experiment will be able, until June 30, “continue to take it while waiting to reorganize, consult to find out if we are creating a network around this new source of medication”he announced from the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris.
Enough to leave the door open to a generalization of the device. “I think we need to study this route of therapeutic cannabis because it covers an area of intractable pain that is often not relieved by other medications”as in “cancer, stiffness, facial pain”detailed the minister.
On the other hand, Yannick Neuder said he was opposed to the legalization of cannabis for recreational use. “I am still against recreational cannabis”he affirmed, deeming it possible to achieve a “very balanced position” on the subject.
Belgium
