CBD Therapeutic: experiments pushed back to 2021

The therapeutic CBD also known as cannabis for therapeutic purposes was discussed in politics and medicine. But for a few months, the National Assembly has agreed to conduct an unprecedented experiment in France. For the first time, the experience of CBD therapeutic will be used for pains that resist antalgic and should start by January 2021 because of the Covid-19. Since 2018, the Directorate General of Health (DGS) and the ANMS have been fully committed to experimenting with the medical use of cannabis in France. However, because of the Covid-19 health authorities were mobilized on the management of the epidemic. Initially scheduled for September 2020, the experimentation of CBD’s medical use will be postponed in January 2021 as indicated in the communiqué june 3 of the Ministry of Health. The experimentation phase should last two years during which the work of the multidisciplinary scientific committee will be continued to consolidate the various actions such as the criteria for inclusion and non-inclusion of patients, the design of the national electronic patient monitoring registry included in the experimentation, the specifications for the selection of future suppliers and drug distributors, the development of the training platform for health professionals, and the identification of the list of experts.

What is the therapeutic CBD?

The therapeutic CBD does not consist of smoking for fun and relaxing otherwise it would be recreational CBD. On the contrary, its use is intended for patients with only heavy diseases whose treatments are more sufficient. To better understand, the therapeutic CBD is an association of molecules in a precise indication: CBD, known as cannabidiol, used for its non-psychoactive virtues and its relaxing action and THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, but present at very low dose.

Who can benefit from this treatment?

Nearly 3,000 people with severe diseases can consume CBD in the form of oil or dried flowers. The experiment will be conducted in several hospitals in France. According to the Temporary Specialized Scientific Committee (STSC), established by the NMA, the use of CBD for medical purposes is relevant to “patients in certain clinical situations and in the event of insufficient relief or poor tolerance of accessible therapeutics, whether or not they are medications” according to the file of the ANSM of Cannabis for medical use. Therapeutic CBD can be indicated for patients with chronic pain resistant to accessible therapies. It is also prescribed to treat neurological diseases such as painful spasticity of multiple sclerosis as well as certain forms of severe epilepsy. Finally, therapeutic CBD can also be prescribed to palliative care patients in cancer care. However, it is important to add that CBD complements another treatment to improve the patient’s quality of life.

How does experimentation take place?

This experiment is extremely framed. Over two years, six months of implementation, six months of patient inclusion, six months of monitoring and six months of data analysis. At the end of the experiment, the CSST meets to prepare a final report on the effects of the medical CBD and the feasibility of making CBD available in France. Voluntary specialists will be trained to prescribe the treatment of therapeutic CBD adapted to each patient. In order to obtain treatment, patients will have to go to a hospital pharmacy the time of experimentation.