The 1000th patient has been registered in the French Medical Cannabis trial

After seven months of the launch, the French medical program has reached 1/3rd The planned patient count. What happens next?France has remained relatively quiet in the cannabis debate, despite the current furor in many countries. The French are not insignificant to the whole conversation. A CBD vape decision here was responsible for creating first case law regarding the transport of legal products across continents and their subsequent sale.

But, even in medical discussions, the French have been largely absent. Seven months into the trial, only 1/3 of participants had completed it.rd The trial is now underway (and has been delayed for a long time). Germany, where there were 800 patients in 2017 when the law changed, had already incorporated 8,000 out of 12,000 to 20,000 total patients into its formal program. The fact that the French are still facing the same obstacles as Germany, despite the fact that the number of patients has surpassed six figures and the enormous hurdles they face.

Patient counts will continue to increase until September 2022 – which means that the government has just over 10 months to register the remaining 2/3rds of patients.

Covid is undoubtedly responsible – but beyond this, as every legalizing state and country knows, this is far from a fast process when done “officially,” and even more particularly for the first time.

There is some silver lining. The quotas have been removed by patient and doctor. Also, the criteria for access to palliative and oncology care has been expanded.

Only 48 general practitioners, 212 pharmacists and 1035 other health professionals are currently trained to prescribe cannabis.

As of yet, 22% have quit the trial due to adverse reactions or inefficacy. As a result, there are currently 779 patients participating in the national study.

There is one thing that you can be sure of. It is encouraging that the trial has already changed its official guidelines. It shows that, just like the rest medically liberalizing world, the French have realized that “conventional knowledge” and preconceived notions of the drug, its users, and what it is used for are wrong.

However, if one of the most cannabis-conservative countries in Europe so far can admit this, and adapt accordingly, it is also another sign that cannabis reform, and of all kinds, has landed in Europe, and will not be slowed.

Why not sponsor the International Cannabis Business Conference next year in Europe (and speak there)? Opportunities exist in Barcelona, Berlin and Zurich.