Medical cannabis

Research and therapeutic cannabis © iStock

By: Caroline Paré Follow

2 min

In France, the prescription of therapeutic cannabis remains exceptional, compared to some of its European neighbors or the United States.

For what reasons ?

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Several countries in Europe and some American states allow the prescription of cannabis, as part of the treatment of various pathologies, in particular to manage chronic pain, spasms associated with multiple sclerosis, nausea or associated lack of appetite. HIV-AIDS or certain cancers ... However, in France, therapeutic cannabis is prescribed in a very exceptional way.

An experiment was launched this month.

What are the medical properties of cannabis?

In what form should medical cannabis be used?

Is there a risk of addiction?

Are there any obstacles to its prescription in France?

  • Dr Pascal Douek,

    physician, multiple sclerosis patient and medical cannabis expert.

    Author of the book "Medical cannabis, a new chance", published by Solar editions.

  • Pr Nicolas Authier,

    psychiatrist and pharmacologist.

    Head of the Medical Pharmacology and Pain Medicine Department at Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital.

  • Prof. Amine Benyamina,

    addictologist psychiatrist, Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Addictology at the Paul Brousse Hospital in Villejuif, in the Paris region.

  • Anonymous testimony of a patient using medical cannabis abroad.  

At the end of the program, we will go to Côte d'Ivoire where the WHO has declared the elimination of sleeping sickness, human African trypanosomiasis.

We talk about it with

Dr Dramane Kaba

, entomologist, Senior Researcher of CAMES at the Pierre Richet Institute (Research Center of the National Institute of Public Health) of Bouaké, in Côte d'Ivoire, of which he is the Director. since 2014.

To go further:

IRD slide show on sleeping sickness.

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  • Health and medicine

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