In an administrative filing last week, France notified the European Commission of the country’s plans to legalize cannabis for medical use, RFI reports. French officials also announced another extension for its medical cannabis program, which was already extended once before.
“It is a new step towards the development of a regulated access to medical cannabis in France,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The formal notification process marks a key step for France toward legalizing medical cannabis, although the commission could take several months to approve the regulations — and then, the French National Authority for Health (HAS) will need to determine how medical cannabis might be covered by the country’s public health insurance, the report said, which will take additional time.
France launched its medical cannabis program in 2021 with 3,000 patients, and it was initially intended to run for two years. However, last year, in the weeks before the initial cutoff, officials announced they would extend the program by six months (until July 31) to give participating patients enough time to seek alternative treatments. Now, under the latest announcement, the program has been extended until March 31, 2026.
“We warmly thank the [health] minister for his support and remain ready to ensure that a medicinal product sector is created, with all the stakeholders involved from the start.” — Ludovic Rachou, president of the Union des industriels pour la valorisation des extraits de chanvre (union for the promotion of hemp extracts), via The Connexion
Outside of the medical program, cannabis remains strictly prohibited in France. However, hemp is legal and there are shops selling low-THC, CBD-rich hemp flower throughout many parts of the country.
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