{"id":22963,"date":"2026-02-13T20:39:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T19:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cbd.fr\/blog\/?p=22963"},"modified":"2026-02-13T20:39:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T19:39:04","slug":"publication-of-the-decree-authorizing-the-experimentation-of-therapeutic-cannabis-in-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cbd.fr\/blog\/publication-of-the-decree-authorizing-the-experimentation-of-therapeutic-cannabis-in-france\/","title":{"rendered":"Publication of the decree authorizing the experimentation of therapeutic cannabis in France"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The situation regarding medical cannabis is evolving, albeit with some difficulty, in France. After a period of waiting, the decree authorizing theexperiment with therapeutic cannabis in France<\/strong> has been published. This was followed by the order establishing the specifications. CBD.FR<\/a><\/strong> focuses on this in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The recommendation for this experiment with therapeutic cannabis in France<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, before discussing the decree itself, it is important to review the previous recommendations, which culminated in the current authorization and the specifications outlined in the terms of reference. <\/em>In fact, cannabis is a narcotic in France. Consequently, its possession and use are prohibited by Law No. 70-1320 of December 31, 1970<\/em> . However, Decree No. 2013-473 of June 5, 2013, amending the provisions of Article R. 5132-86 of the Public Health Code concerning the prohibition of operations involving cannabis or its derivatives, allows the marketing of cannabis-based medicines and their derivatives. In this context, this provision facilitates the emergence of two cannabis-based products in France: SATIVEX and DRONABINOL (MARINOL). The former, a mixture of two cannabis extracts, received authorization in 2014. Its primary purpose is to treat symptoms related to moderate to severe spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, as a second-line treatment in adult patients. Unfortunately, difficulties in reaching an agreement on its price are hindering its commercialization in France. The latter (<\/strong> DRONABINOL<\/p>\n\n\n\n

), however, has been available since 2003. In this regard, the relevant indications are: neuropathic pain after failure of all treatments, nausea and vomiting in the context of anticancer chemotherapy, and anorexia in HIV patients. These two major varieties have brought to the forefront the issue of a possible<\/em> trial of medical cannabis in France.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context, the ANSM (French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety) created a Temporary Specialized Scientific Committee (CSST) in 2018. Its purpose was to conduct an<\/em>Evaluation of the relevance and feasibility of making medical cannabis available in France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should be noted that the two specialties mentioned above are not included in this study.<\/strong> In December 2018, the CSST published its conclusions. The Committee concluded:<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“that it is relevant to authorize the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes for patients in certain clinical situations and in cases of insufficient relief or poor tolerance of available therapies, whether medicinal or non-medicinal (and in particular, available cannabis or cannabinoid-based products).”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Furthermore, certain indications were selected. These include the use of medical cannabis for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n