Experimentation with therapeutic cannabis by decree
The modalities of the experience relating to therapeutic cannabis
The decree relating to the experimentation on cannabis used for therapeutic purposes came into force in March 2021, the date on which the said experiments began. These then involved 3,000 volunteers corresponding to different profiles. This relatively significant number of candidates is a sufficiently large sample to validate the results of the experiment.
These results will be published in 2023, the experiment having been planned for a duration of 2 years in order to measure the long-term effects and multiply the tests carried out by health professionals. These, all being volunteer doctors, will then be responsible for carrying out their experiment in 4 stages. The first 6 months will be dedicated to the implementation of the experiment and the selection of the products concerned, the following 6 months will be dedicated to the inclusion of volunteers, then, 6 months will be allocated to the monitoring of the volunteers as well as the writing of the interim report. Finally, the last 6 months of this 2-year study will be devoted to the analysis of the data before the scientific committee publishes its conclusions.
This experiment, authorized by decree, follows an initiative by the French National Agency for Health and Medicines (ANSM) in 2018. By organizing a Temporary Specialized Scientific Committee (CSST), it had determined that cannabis could be used for therapeutic purposes under very specific conditions. The reported scientific opinion is merely advisory and has not resulted in any legal application.
However, this study conducted by the CSST, as well as the multiple experiments conducted in Europe, have encouraged the executive to take an interest in the benefits of hemp . Indeed, hemp is recognized for its countless medical applications, although they are not yet legally recognized by the ANSM.
The CSST designated for the experiment will use five varieties of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), these being administered from oils extracted from cannabidiol or from products derived from dried cannabis flowers . As part of its experiment, the CSST is studying all potential ways of applying cannabis for therapeutic purposes so as not to leave anything out.
The medical consequences of the decree on the experimentation of cannabis for therapeutic purposes
Although one should not speculate on the final outcome of a study that is still in its early stages, some clues suggest that the conclusion can only be favorable to the application of cannabis for medical purposes . Indeed, cannabis derivatives, starting with all cannabidiol-based products, are already available on the market.
Long used, CBD products have proven their worth. While they are considered strictly recreational, CBD products go far beyond this simple attribution. Many CBD products are now used to soothe muscle pain or even as a natural anxiolytic.
While these beneficial effects have been observed by consumers, the benefits of the products consumed have no scientific value since the ANSM has not given its approval for a marketing authorization (MA). Indeed, any CBD seller who boasts of the medical benefits of their products will then be exposed to criminal prosecution.
However, if the experiment conducted by the CSST proves conclusive, things could radically change. CBD would then be recognized for its true value and its use could even be encouraged by health professionals .
To date, only two products derived from medical cannabis are available in pharmacies: SATIVEX, which is not available in France, and MARINOL, which is rarely used for neuropathic disorders. Given the expected conclusions of the experiment conducted on medical cannabis, more CBD-based products could then benefit from marketing authorization and naturally alleviate a wide range of pathologies.
CBD: sold and recommended in pharmacies from 2023?
Although much slower than its European neighbors, France is finally catching up in terms of experiments with therapeutic cannabis. To date, 22 of the 27 countries in the European Union already offer CBD-based products used for curative purposes . Holland was a pioneer of the movement in 2003, exactly 20 years before the publication of the CSST report in France, expected in 2023.
Although CBD is now freely available to every consumer, CBD-derived products remain marginally used. Yet, CBD continues to be increasingly used in France. Given its countless benefits, CBD is still relatively unknown to the French public and is aimed at a niche clientele.
With a sometimes excessively repressive policy in the fight against narcotics, the public authorities have given cannabis a very bad press. The fact that it can be used for therapeutic purposes, in fact, upsets the majority of people. The scientific endorsement of the ANSM, supplemented by the favorable opinions of hundreds of doctors, could then change the image of therapeutic cannabis in the eyes of the public.
From then on, CBD would gain popularity. Due to its many beneficial and natural effects as well as its absence of side effects , CBD would quickly establish itself as a substitute of choice for many medications . Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety properties, a CBD-based product could therefore be prescribed by a doctor to treat many pathologies. Sleep disorders , muscle pain, depression , epileptic episodes among many other disorders would thus find a natural and effective treatment .
Everything suggests that the results of the experiment conducted by the CSST can only be favorable to CBD, starting with the success of therapeutic cannabis abroad. However, it will take another year and a half for the experiment to reach its conclusions. At the end of this period, the ANSM will be able to grant a marketing authorization to any CBD product meeting the criteria of the French health authorities.
When it arrives in 2023, the news is sure to attract media attention. CBD, still too marginalized in France, will then experience a resounding boom . The media will not fail to promote it, and every doctor in France will potentially subscribe to this therapeutic innovation.
There are indeed only advantages to using CBD. Everything that currently relates to the experiments surrounding its use is, in fact, purely formal. Everyone, starting with those who have tested CBD-based products, knows perfectly well that the experience can only be conclusive, despite all the scientific precautions introduced by the experiment.
Very soon, CBD will be treated as a medicine in its own right after being insidiously ostracized by the public authorities. From now on, we will have to wait until 2023 for this therapeutic revolution to occur.
