Tag: France

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French Parliamentary Group Pushes For Cannabis Legalization

Written by Johnny Green on November 16, 2024. Posted in Policy.

An escalation of violence linked to organized crime in France is leading to calls by a parliamentary group for the European nation to legalize cannabis for adult use. La France Insoumise (LFI) has criticized the government’s current approach to cannabis policy.

“According to the unveiled “fight plan,” the government’s repressive response is not only insufficient, but it fuels insecurity, pushing citizens and officials into a cycle of violence.” stated Newsweed in its local reporting. “LFI advocates for a comprehensive, community-based approach to combating organized crime in France, including the legalization of cannabis.”

LFI’s reported position is that cannabis prohibition is a failed public policy and that leaving the nation’s cannabis market to be controlled by organized crime empowers such entities by giving them a source of revenue from which to fund their activities.

The parliamentary group points out that cannabis prohibition has not reduced cannabis consumption in France, nor has it reduced violence associated with organized crime.

Currently, cannabis is prohibited at the federal level in France, although the nation does have a limited operational medical cannabis experimental program. In March 2021, France launched a limited medical cannabis experiment involving between 2,000 and 3,000 suffering patients to gain insight into crafting national medical cannabis policies and regulations.

The French medical cannabis experiment received initial approval from the federal Senate back in 2019, however, the launch of the trial was delayed until the spring of 2021 due to various reasons. Cannabis producer LaFleur was eventually selected as the cultivator for the program and has supplied participating patients since the launch of the experiment.

Initially slated for two years, France’s medical cannabis experiment was eventually granted a one-year extension and was set to end in 2024. The program is now expected to end in 2025.

According to a recent newsletter sent out by international cannabis economist Beau Whitney of Whitney Economics, France is home to the largest total addressable cannabis market in the European Union with a value of $11.3 billion (midpoint).

“The French government has estimated the number of potential medical patients, if the program expands it could be 320k – 400k patients, whereas the Whitney Economics estimation is 125k – 208k patients.” Whitney stated in his newsletter.

When Will France Tap Its Cannabis Industry Market Potential?

Written by Johnny Green on September 25, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

As cannabis policy modernization efforts continue to gain momentum in Europe, and more European nations reform their outdated and harmful cannabis policies, one country that is on every cannabis advocate’s radar is France.

France is home to one of the largest cannabis consumer bases on earth. With a total population of roughly 68 million people, an estimated 10.6% of French adults reported having consumed cannabis within the last year according to a 2022 survey conducted by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies in partnership with the Santé Publique France agency.

Applying the estimated cannabis usage rate to France’s adult population works out to potentially millions of adult cannabis consumers for an eventual legal adult-use market in France. Of course, many of the adults who report consuming cannabis in France are doing so for medical reasons and the market potential for an effective medical cannabis program in France is also huge.

In March 2021, France launched a limited medical cannabis experiment involving between 2,000 and 3,000 suffering patients to gain insight into possibly crafting national medical cannabis policies and regulations.

Initially slated for two years, France’s medical cannabis experiment was eventually granted a one-year extension and was set to end in 2024. The program is now expected to end in 2025.

A national medical cannabis program was initially expected to launch in France in 2025, although, 2026 appears to be a more realistic timeline for the program’s launch. Meanwhile, adult-use cannabis reform is likely to occur further into the future in France. With that being said, cannabis activists in the country are doing everything they can to speed up both timelines.

Currently, cannabis is legal at a national level for adult use in three European countries – Malta, Luxembourg, and Germany. Additionally, regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are currently operating in the Netherlands and Switzerland, affording enrolled consumers a legal way to source their products.

Further delays in cannabis policy modernization in France come with an opportunity cost. If France institutes a regulated industry it could easily become a continental and international powerhouse.

Conversely, if lawmakers in France continue to drag their feet, the nation’s market potential will decrease with every passing year. Surrounding nations will gain a larger market share and their domestic cannabis companies will create advantages that will be hard for France-based companies to compete with.

To be clear, large numbers of cannabis consumers and patients consume cannabis every day in France, albeit illegally. French lawmakers would be wise to recognize this fact and work to transition the market from an unregulated one to a regulated one which would, among other things, boost positive public health outcomes.

The situation is fluid in France and it can be difficult for cannabis enthusiasts to navigate. A great opportunity to learn the latest and most important information about France’s shifting cannabis landscape is coming up next month in France at the Science in the City International event in Bordeaux on October 26th, 2024.

Science in the City International is a unique opportunity for international industry stakeholders, medical healthcare professionals, functional and integrative medicine practitioners, and community healthcare changemakers and leaders to come together for a historic event. It’s a great opportunity to learn and network with other like-minded people.

Flower Will Not Be Included In France’s Medical Cannabis Program

Written by Hazel Norman on March 18, 2024. Posted in Policy.

France’s medical cannabis public policy experiment received initial approval from the nation’s Senate back in 2019, however, the launch of the trial was delayed until the spring of 2021 due to various reasons.

Initially slated for two years, France’s medical cannabis experiment was eventually granted a one-year extension and was set to end in 2024. In October 2023, it was announced that the program would receive another one-year extension, and is now slated to go until at least 2025.

Unfortunately, the French National Medicines Safety Agency recently confirmed that flower will no longer be included in the nation’s medical cannabis program in the near future. Per Business of Cannabis:

In a public update and accompanying letter to healthcare professionals, the ANSM confirmed this in no uncertain terms.

“Medicines in the form of flowers (flowering tops to be inhaled) will cease to be made available in the coming weeks. Prescribing doctors must therefore gradually stop flower treatment for their patients and not initiate new treatments with this form.”

As of March 26, cannabis flower will cease being provided by the programme’s sole flower supplier, Aurora, and once reserve stocks have been exhausted, patients will have no legal route to secure medical cannabis flower.

Many patients prefer cannabis flower over other forms of medical cannabis due to how fast the effects take hold compared to other forms, such as edibles. Access to cannabis flower also provides flexibility for patients who want to make their own preparations, such as homemade tinctures.

Several jurisdictions around the globe limit legal medical cannabis to pharmaceutical forms, which forces many patients to the unregulated market to source their medicine. A robust medical cannabis program, such as the types of programs found in North America, provides legal access to flower and other options to help ensure that all patients get the best types of medicine for their situation.

It is estimated that out of the roughly 2,500 patients that are enrolled in France’s program, only about 100 of them currently receive cannabis flower.

CBDV Moderates Fragile X Syndrome Progression According To French Study

Written by Frank Schuler on October 2, 2023. Posted in Science.

The cannabis plant is made up of dozens of cannabinoids, with two of the most well-known examples being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Both cannabinoids are the focus of a growing body of peer-reviewed research, and rightfully so.

However, in recent years other lesser-known cannabinoids have risen in popularity within the international research community, including cannabidivarin (CBDV). CBDV, much like CBD, does not induce intoxication.

Researchers in France recently examined CBDV and its potential as a treatment for Fragile X Syndrome. Below is more information about the study via a news release from NORML:

Bordeaux, France: The administration of the cannabinoid cannabidivarin (CBDV) moderates the progression of Fragile X syndrome (FXS), according to preclinical data published in the journal Cells.

An international team of researchers from France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States assessed the efficacy of CBDV treatment in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome. FXS is a genetic disorder resulting in developmental delays, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems, such as aggression and attention deficits.

Investigators reported that CBDV administration during adolescence prevented cognitive and behavioral changes in a manner similar to other pharmacological treatments. By contrast, CBDV’s effects were “marginal” when the compound was administered during adulthood.

They determined: “Overall, these data demonstrate that CBDV, when administered chronically and starting at juvenile age, holds a solid therapeutic potential for FXS as it prevented the most relevant behavioral alterations shown by … mice. Early timing and chronic duration of treatment appear as critical determinants to ensure the beneficial effects of CBDV.”

The study’s authors concluded, “These results thus encourage future clinical studies using phytocannabinoids for treating not only FXS but also other neurodevelopmental disorders.”

Parents and caregivers of children with FXS patients report using CBD for symptom management. The administration of a transdermal gel containing CBD has been shown to be safe and effective in FSX patients in randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials.

Full text of the study, “Early administration of the phytocannabinoid cannabidivarin prevents the neurobehavioral abnormalities associated with the Fmr1-KO mouse model of Fragile X syndrome,” appears in Cells.

French Medical Cannabis Legalization Is Not Expected In 2024

Written by Hazel Norman on October 1, 2023. Posted in Policy.

France’s government is expected to refrain from recommending national medical cannabis legalization after the European nation’s medical cannabis experiment is over.

In March 2021, France launched a limited medical cannabis experiment involving between 2,000 and 3,000 suffering patients with the goal of gaining insight to possibly craft national medical cannabis policies and regulations. Initially slated for a two-year period, France’s medical cannabis experiment was eventually granted a one-year extension and is set to end in 2024.

According to domestic reporting, the 2024 Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) will not include provisions to legalize medical cannabis nationwide due to a lack of support by the Macron administration.

Limited cannabis access is not a new public policy concept in Europe, with limited adult use cannabis commerce now permitted in parts of Switzerland, and soon, the Netherlands. Germany is another jurisdiction that is working towards launching adult-use pilot programs.

France is somewhat rare in that most European nations now permit medical cannabis access. France, on the other hand, has historically been much more hesitant to reform its medical cannabis policies.

If the French government does not adopt national medical cannabis reform at the conclusion of the experiment, and the pilot program does not receive another extension, medical cannabis patients will have no safe access to their medications. Instead, they will be forced to either go without medical cannabis or obtain their medical cannabis from unregulated sources.

CBD products containing less than 0.3% THC are legal in France, however, many suffering cannabis patients require treatment regimens involving products that have higher levels of THC.

According to data analyzed by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies, roughly 10.6% of France’s adult population has consumed cannabis within the last year, and 47.3% have reported using cannabis at least once in their lifetimes.

CBD Associated With Sickle Cell Disease Patient Pain Alleviation

Written by Frank Schuler on August 28, 2023. Posted in Science.

Sickle cell disease is a condition involving a group of inherited red blood cell disorders that affect hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. International researchers estimate that as many as 20 million people have the condition globally.

For people that do not suffer from sickle cell disease, their red blood cells move easily through blood vessels due to their disc-like shape. However, the red blood cells of sickle cell disease patients are crescent or “sickle” shaped. They do not move through blood vessels easily and can block blood flow in a patient’s body. That blocked blood flow can lead to serious health conditions including stroke and chronic pain.

A team of researchers in France recently examined CBD administered orally and how it make affect sickle cell disease patients. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Paris, France: The daily consumption of oral CBD is associated with dramatic improvements in chronic pain due to sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a case report published in the American Journal of Hematology.

French researchers reported on the use of synthetic CBD in a 15-year-old SCD patient suffering from chronic refractory pain in his spine, thorax, and knee. Prior to CBD treatment, the patient had required prolonged hospitalizations due to chronic pain.

Following two weeks of CBD treatment, the patient experienced “a complete regression of pain.” During 10 months of treatment, the patient did not require any further hospitalizations.
Authors concluded: “We report here for the first time a case of refractory chronic pain with dramatic improvement after CBD treatment in an adolescent with SCD. … As it seems to be a well-tolerated drug, CBD could represent a promising therapeutic perspective for patients with SCD suffering from chronic pain.”

Survey data indicates that patients with SCD often consume cannabis for symptom management. Clinical trial data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that the short-term use of vaporized cannabis in SCD patients is associated with improved mood and may also mitigate symptoms of SCD-related pain. Other studies have reported that SCD patients who consume cannabis are less likely to require hospitalization as compared to those who do not.

Full text of the study, “Dramatic efficacy of cannabidiol on refractory chronic pain in an adolescent with sickle cell disease,” appears in the American Journal of Hematology.

Over 25% Of French ALS Patients Report Using Cannabinoid Products

Written by Frank Schuler on August 1, 2023. Posted in Science.

Cannabis is medicine whether a handful of prohibitionist politicians want to accept that fact or not, and that is true for every country on Earth. Humans have effectively used cannabis for medical purposes for centuries whereas cannabis prohibition is a new manmade policy by many measures comparatively.

History has clearly demonstrated that humans are going to use cannabis for medical purposes whether it’s legal to do so or not. After all, they are suffering from one or more conditions, and if cannabis helps treat those conditions, many humans will take the risk.

France is home to a limited medical cannabis policy, however, suffering patients are still consuming cannabis regardless. A recent study examined usage rates among ALS patients specifically. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Marseille, France: An estimated 22 percent of French patients with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis a/k/a Lou Gehrig’s disease) report using either plant cannabis or CBD oil to mitigate symptoms of the disease, according to national survey data published in the journal Revue Neurologique.

Survey participants reported that cannabinoids improved their motor skills, reduced pain, elevated mood, and enhanced their overall quality of life. Reported side effects were non-serious (e.g., drowsiness, dry mouth).

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study which presents a large questionnaire-based survey about the ‘real-life’ situation regarding cannabis use in the medical context in ALS patients in France,” the study’s authors reported. “Our data demonstrate that … a non-negligible proportion of ALS patients use cannabis to relieve symptoms of the disease. … This study highlights the need for further research on the potential benefits of cannabis use for the management of ALS motor and non-motor symptoms.”

Preclinical models suggest that cannabinoids may delay ALS progression in addition to mitigating certain ALS symptoms. A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial is currently ongoing in Australia to identify whether cannabis extracts can slow ALS disease progression.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: What is the patients’ view?” appears inRevue Neurologique. Additional information on cannabis and ALS is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

French Town Wants To Launch Cannabis Pilot Program

Written by Hazel Norman on June 17, 2023. Posted in Policy.

By many measures, the concept of a cannabis commerce pilot program is a relatively new thing. While they are already in existence in Europe, it is only in recent years that they seem to have entered the mainstream policy reform conversation on the continent.

Switzerland has embraced the cannabis commerce pilot program more than any other nation so far. A cannabis commerce pilot program involves a jurisdiction being permitted to allow limited cannabis sales as part of ongoing government social science research.

In theory, by allowing limited cannabis sales, data can be collected, and the analysis of that local data can then help lawmakers and regulators be better suited to craft national cannabis policies. Cannabis commerce pilot programs have their limitations to be sure, however, for participants, it effectively results in legalized cannabis and the freedoms that go with it. Additionally, the concept is EU-approved and does not run afoul of EU agreements (unlike national legalization).

France has historically moved much slower on cannabis reform compared to some of its European counterparts, but if one small town has its way, it will launch its own cannabis commerce pilot program sooner rather than later. Per Newsweed:

The mayor of Bègles, a small town of 30,000 inhabitants close to Bordeaux, wants to make his city a territory for experimenting with the supervised legalization of cannabis.

Mayor Clément Rossignol Puech’s proposal to experiment with the production, sale and consumption of cannabis in Bègles has its origins in two recent reports: one from the Information Mission on the Uses of Cannabis, held to the National Assembly in 2021, and the other to the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) in 2023. These two reports came out in favor of a supervised legalization of cannabis.

While it is never easy to guarantee anything in the cannabis world, it does seem in increasing fashion that the cannabis commerce pilot program model is here to stay in Europe. Pilot programs are the focus of ‘phase 2’ of legalization in Germany according to the current plan, and pilot discussions in other countries appear to be heating up as well.

Pilot programs are clearly not as good as national legalization, such as what is found in Canada. However, when coupled with noncommercial clubs and home cultivation, such as what is being proposed in Germany, it can provide a significant amount of freedom to cannabis consumers. Hopefully other lawmakers join Mayor Clément Rossignol Puech’s push for pilot programs in France.

When Will France Legalize Cannabis For Adult Use?

Written by Johnny Green on March 27, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Cannabis consumption in France is more common than in many other parts of the world, as demonstrated by recent survey data that was collected and analyzed by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies. In its most recent survey involving adults aged 18 to 64, the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies found that 10.6% of the survey participants reported having consumed cannabis within the last year. With so many people consuming cannabis in France, it begs the question, when will France pass an adult-use legalization measure?

The same survey by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies, which was conducted in conjunction with the Santé Publique France agency, found that 47.3% of the survey participants reported having consumed cannabis at least once in their lifetime. To put these numbers into perspective, United States survey data indicates that roughly 49% of adults report having consumed cannabis at least once in their lifetime, and roughly 12% report being an annual consumer.

Yet, whereas the U.S. is trending in the right direction when it comes to cannabis reform, the same cannot be said about France. Late last year France lifted a previously implemented ban on CBD products, however, that is clearly not enough. Even with legalization looming across the border in Germany, leaders in France are indicating that they want to take a ‘wait and see’ approach.

Monitoring From Afar

Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is currently lobbying the European Union to gain approval for Germany to proceed with an adult-use legalization measure that would result in the launch of nationwide legal adult-use cannabis sales. According to recent comments made by Minister Lauterbach, he has received “very good feedback” from the EU and indicated that a formal introduction of a legalization measure will happen very soon.

Many countries around the globe are watching Germany with a very close eye, particularly countries on the European continent. Leadership in the Czech Republic has already indicated that it will try to follow Germany’s lead if/when Germany passes an adult-use legalization measure. Unfortunately, leaders in France appear to be taking a more passive approach.

“France will closely monitor the evolution of the German legislative framework, especially with regard to its potential impact on cross-border regions,” the office of French Health Minister François Braun recently told EURACTIV France. The comments from the French Health Minister do not instill any confidence that France will be legalizing any time soon. If anything, they seem to indicate that increased prohibition enforcement may be on the horizon along the France/Germany border.

Boosting Public Health

Whether international cannabis observers realize it or not, Germany is currently doing a considerable amount of the heavy lifting to legalize cannabis across the European continent. The biggest hurdle to comprehensive continental adult-use reform is the European Union, and if/when Germany can overcome that hurdle, it will have created an adult-use legalization blueprint for other European countries to copy, including France.

With a reported second-highest cannabis consumption rate on the European continent, France’s consumer base is enormous. With some minor exceptions, a vast majority of what France consumers are inhaling and/or ingesting is completely unregulated. That is problematic from a public health standpoint and can be largely mitigated by launching a regulated adult-use industry.

That premise largely serves as the crux of the argument being made right now by Germany’s Health Minister to the EU. It’s an argument that France would be well-served to be on the right side of, and there are calls from within France to do so. The consumption of unregulated cannabis products is a public health concern according to France’s Economic, Social, and Environmental Council. The Council is recommending legalization, and policymakers in France should follow that recommendation as soon as possible.