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The National Assembly gave Friday the green light for an experiment to evaluate the medical properties of cannabis. Europe 11 has listed the main issues for you as this test should start next year.
Who will medical cannabis be used in France?
The experts selected five cases: neuropathic pain, severe epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, to relieve patients on chemotherapy, as well as end-of-life cases, that is to say people in care palliative.
What are the expected effects?
The promise of medical cannabis: a pain-relieving effect, an orexigenic effect - that is, one that increases appetite - or an anti-nausea effect. The drug will be tested on patients for two years.
Who will be able to participate in the experiment?
Everyone, there is no age limit that has been set. Which means that even sick children could participate in the testing phase.
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Is there a risk of side effects?
We do not know yet. To limit the risks and to monitor the occurrence of possible side effects, the product will be administered to patients at the lowest doses. Marketed, these drugs will also be available for sale in several forms and dosages, because some pains require that the product is very concentrated and act quickly. For example, oils and flowers dried in an inhaler have an almost immediate effect, while oral cannabis is more sustainable throughout the day.
Where is this therapeutic cannabis produced?
As a first step, it will be necessary to import cannabis from countries that already allow it for medical purposes such as Canada, the United States or Israel. It will then remain in France to set a legal framework and to find a particular distribution model.
Among the questions still outstanding: will patients who are entitled to use these products and who will have a prescription, obtain them in pharmacies or directly from the producer, as in Canada? Will these drugs be reimbursed by the Secu as in Germany or at the expense of patients as in the Netherlands?
Is the debate on the legalization of cannabis revived?
No, these are two separate debates. Last June, nearly 70 doctors, researchers and politicians expressed their support, in the name of pragmatism, for the legalization of recreational cannabis. The government reacted decisively by pointing out that this issue was not on the agenda. And, on Friday, the head of state himself said he was "not in favor" of legalizing recreational cannabis.