How to get a prescription for medical cannabis in France?
What is medical cannabis used for?
The goal of using medical cannabis is to help patients relieve symptoms of varying severity, either in conjunction with their current treatments or because they currently have no treatment available to relieve them. Its scope of application is broad, as medical cannabis has numerous benefits and does not target any specific symptoms.
Medical cannabis has analgesic, antiemetic, neuroprotective, antispasmodic, bronchodilator, antipsychotic, analgesic, anxiolytic, vasodilator, antidepressant , anti-inflammatory and appetite activating effects. All these benefits help people suffering from chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, AIDS, anorexia, Alzheimer's disease, asthma, schizophrenia or glaucoma. It is also effective in relieving patients during chemotherapy , in palliative care, who are resistant to usual treatments or whose heavy treatment causes side effects .
Please note that medical cannabis does not cure the diseases mentioned above but simply contributes to:
- the reduction of certain symptoms;
- and improving the quality of life.
More generally, medical cannabis helps relieve sleep disorders, migraines , depression , inflammation , movement disorders, vomiting, addictions, loss of appetite, anxiety and pain. This is why medical cannabis can also be a solution for theelderly or people with several disorders at the same time without having suitable treatment.
An unprecedented experiment with medical cannabis in France
Starting March 26, 2021, 3,000 patients were selected to participate in a two-year medical cannabis experiment. They were chosen based on their illnesses or medical conditions and are being monitored by a reference center selected by the French Medicines Agency. Currently, no children are involved in the experiment, but they may be included in the future to expand the trials.
Another selection criterion for this experiment is the fact that no treatment should have been effective beforehand. Similarly, these patients do not suffer from cardiovascular disease, psychosis, or schizophrenia, as therapeutic cannabis can have harmful effects due to the presence of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
During this test, cannabis was prescribed in oil or inhalation form. Most of the products most often offered are for oral use and in liquid form because they are the easiest to dose. They can therefore be adapted during treatment, depending on the patient and their problems. All these products are tested to meet very specific criteria and correspond to therapeutic use. In the future, prescriptions may extend to dried flowers for use with a vaporizer , but they cannot be smoked.
Who can participate in this experiment?
The patients selected for this experiment are volunteers who have undergone a consultation at a reference center run by the French Medicines Agency. There, they will receive a prescription for medical cannabis based on their symptoms, illnesses, and disorders. They will then be able to collect their medication from a pharmacy.
This system, in addition to testing the effectiveness of medical cannabis , allows the entire circuit to be verified from consultation to actual use of the products. If it proves functional and positive, it will prove that it is possible to consider a generalization of medical cannabis in France . For this, it must be easy to follow and similar to the prescription of a traditional medicine. Initially, only hospital pharmacies have a stock to provide these prescriptions. Subsequently, each patient's regular pharmacist can be notified to obtain authorization to have their own stock. To further facilitate the process, general practitioners will also be able to continue prescribing medical cannabis after having undergone specific training.
Finally, to differentiate conventional cannabis users from those taking part in this experiment, the latter will have special authorization to prove their legality. These patients will not be able to drive during the entire experiment, as some products contain THC. They will also have to attend a monthly follow-up appointment to verify the effectiveness of the system and the therapeutic cannabis.
Is it possible to get a prescription for medical cannabis today?
During the experiment, which began on March 26, if a patient decides to stop taking medical cannabis treatment, they will be replaced by another person. Furthermore, even though the experiment lasts two years, it is primarily the analysis of the prescription system that will be tested during these two years. As for patients, they must follow a treatment for at least six months, so they can be replaced after this period. It is therefore entirely possible to join the experiment midway, but places are very limited.
Through this experiment, health services aim to adapt the prescription system so that medical cannabis can be widely used in the future. As the evaluations and results of this trial progress, adjustments will be made until the process is perfected.
Be careful not to confuse CBD with medical cannabis. While the former is now legal in France and freely available for purchase, the latter, as we have just seen, is in the experimental phase. Although they are similar, particularly because they are not considered medicines, it is important to know how to distinguish them.
Today, it is estimated that fewer than 100 people in France have been granted temporary authorization for use. For others, it is therefore not possible to obtain a prescription for CBD oil from a doctor.
On the other hand, there is one cannabis-based medication that has been authorized in France since 2014. It's called Sativex, a drug used to reduce the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. The problem is that doctors rarely prescribe it, and it's often unavailable in pharmacies. We'll have to wait until this experiment is over to see medical cannabis become more widespread.
CBD, an alternative to medical cannabis
If you can't get a prescription for medical cannabis, you can still benefit from some similar effects by using CBD . CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a cannabinoid molecule extracted from hemp. It's not considered a drug because, unlike THC, it doesn't have a psychotropic effect. It's a natural product and therefore has similar properties to medical cannabis, such as anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
CBD can therefore be used against pain, particularly chronic pain, arthritis , migraines, intense periods or even back problems . In addition to its benefits on the body, it also helps you feel better mentally, since it helps fight anxiety, panic attacks and anguish. Remember that CBD should not replace medical treatment, so you should talk to your doctor if you have intense and recurring symptoms. CBD can relieve certain aches and pains, but it will not cure them.
In our Famous CBD store, you can find CBD in the form of flowers , resins , oils , infusions or even e-liquids .
You now know the difference between medical cannabis and CBD. Both recently became legal in France, and they provide relief to patients or users, one by prescription, the other over-the-counter. As the use of cannabis and CBD gradually becomes more widespread, it's possible to hope for widespread adoption so that more people can enjoy their benefits.
