A landmark experimentation recently authorised in France can foster patient access to medicinal cannabis in the country and become a role model for Europe.
Last month, the French government signed a decree that will kick off a two-year medical cannabis pilot project which will target 3,000 patients suffering from serious conditions, such as chronic pain and epilepsy.
Although originally scheduled in 2020, the launch of the programme has been postponed until early 2021 due to delays caused by the handling by the French health ministry of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The experimentation is limited to only certain therapies dealing with refractory neuropathic pain, some severe and drug-resistant forms of epilepsy, palliative situations and painful spasticity of multiple sclerosis or other central nervous system pathologies.
Accessible therapies also include supportive care in oncology for the treatment of cancer or cancer pain. Patients included in the programme will have access to these products in form of dried cannabis flowers and oils and completely free of charge.
This is the second pilot scheme for medical marijuana in Europe set in place after a 4-year one started in Denmark in 2018 and is still running
Under the Denmark experimentation rules, doctors were allowed to prescribe cannabis-based drugs ensuring a safe entry-point for companies that wanted to…
