The idea of legalizing therapeutic cannabis made its way in France. A Temporary Specialized Scientific Committee (CSST), mandated by the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM), pronounced this Thursday, December 13 in favor of the authorization of medical cannabis to relieve pain. This committee of scientists heard from doctors, patients and pharmacists in order to be able to decide the question. The first conclusions have just been published by the drug safety agency (ANSM). In detail, the committee considers that it is “relevant to authorize the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes for patients in certain clinical situations and in the event of insufficient relief or poor tolerance of therapeutics, medicinal or not, accessible (and in particular specialties cannabis-based or available cannabinoids) “.
Experts specify that this use can be considered in addition to or as a replacement for certain treatments.
If the committee advocates for therapeutic cannabis, it excludes cannabis cigarettes, “considering the health risks”. The various possible routes of administration have yet to be defined (for example in the form of tablets or to inhale via a vaping device). Patients with multiple sclerosis or in palliative care whose treatments fail to alleviate the pain could be among the beneficiaries. Among the other therapeutic indications retained, therapeutic cannabis could also be indicated in the following cases:
- in the case of pain refractory to accessible therapies (medicinal or not)
- in some severe and drug-resistant forms of epilepsy
- as part of supportive oncology care
In addition to wishing for an evolution of the legislation, the experts ask that the patients treated are the subject of a follow-up which would take the form of a “national register”. This would be based on the benefit / risk assessments as well as the adverse effects recorded by the pharmacovigilance and addictovigilance networks.
In response to these initial conclusions, the ANSM specifies that it will decide “in the coming days on the follow-up to be given to this work, in particular on the possible modalities of the provision of cannabis for therapeutic purposes in France”.
The positive opinion of the expert committee on therapeutic cannabis adds to the favorable position of the Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn. She spoke out last July for the legalization of therapeutic cannabis in order to relieve chronic pain.
300,000 potentially affected patients
Since 2013, cannabis-based medicines can be the subject of a Marketing Authorization (MA). Only Sativex, intended for patients with multiple sclerosis, has received this authorization. But disagreement over pricing prevented its effective commercialization.
33 countries have partially or fully legalized cannabis for medical use, reminded elected officials and doctors last July in a forum in favor of its legalization for therapeutic purposes.
300,000 patients could benefit from therapeutic cannabis to soothe their pain, they recalled.
82% of French people are in favor of cannabis on medical prescription, according to a ifop survey for Eco Citizen and Terra Nova published in June 2018.
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