The French government will unveil a draft version of its long-awaited medical cannabis pricing and reimbursement policy on On February 18,It is an important milestone for the slow transition of the pilot to a permanent program.
A consultation meeting, organised by the Direction Générale de la Santé (DGS) and the Direction de la Sécurité Sociale (DSS), will see stakeholders receive the first concrete view of the planned economics of the incoming market.
The following morning (February 19), at Cannabis Europa Paris: 2026, taking place at Hôtel de l’Industrie, the details and timelines of this draft will be shared publicly with delegates, before a day of insight and discussion around their implications with global cannabis industry experts.
Ludovic Rachou, president of French medical marijuana trade organization UIVEC said: “This meeting marks the start of the consultation on the final missing regulatory text to generalise medical cannabis in France.” MEDCAN24.
It is believed that the decree will be the last obstacle to the entry of France into the cannabis market. The document defines both the conditions for reimbursement and the method used to calculate the cost.
Without it, the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), which was forced to pause its evaluation work in December after concluding it could not finalise reimbursement structures without the published decree, has been unable to complete its assessment.
Rachou added that the meeting will also provide clarification on the timetable for the adoption of other regulatory texts pending, such as those that cover the legal status cannabis-based medicine, technical specifications and cultivation.
Rachou stated that “while this version is still subject to adjustments and comments, it provides, for the very first time, an actual view of the French economic model and reimbursement scheme.”
Rachou stated that the process of consultation following the 18th February meeting will last anywhere between 3 weeks to 1 month. During this time, stakeholders can submit their formal comments to the text.
According to him, UIVEC believes that the authorities are determined to make sure HAS provides a positive assessment of cannabis-based medicine, so reimbursement should be no issue. The level of reimbursement, as well as the pricing structure, will determine whether or not the market can be commercially viable.
Rachou explained that reimbursement without pricing is meaningless. MEDCAN24. If they offer a low price, no one is going to come onto the market.
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Last month, Benjamin-Alexandre Jeanroy of Augur Associates told us that reimbursement should realistically fall between 30% and 60%, with 30% representing ‘the minimum under which it would be shameful’ and 60% being more in line with comparable anxiolytic medications.
While qualifying conditions such as refractory neuropathic pain and drug-resistant epilepsy would theoretically fall under France’s 100% reimbursement scheme, Jeanroy noted that ‘budget reality is a fact’ and the outcome would likely be ‘something midway.’
UIVEC shares and discusses the details of consultation on 19 February at Cannabis Europa Paris where the conference opens with the latest regulatory development.
Rachou pointed out that panelists in the pricing and reimbursement session of the conference are the same consultants working on the reimbursement dossier presented to HAS by HAS last year. They will also be at the consultation on February 18, so attendees can get a first-hand look at the proposed decree.