While medicinal cannabis laws are continuously progressing both in and out of the U.S., Europe has been at the forefront of the industry for quite some time now. With countries like the Netherlands and Switzerland leading the march in cannabis normalization, France, the country of love, has shown little love for cannabis flower.
However, with the Senate’s recent greenlight, France is now joining the party, calling for a trial run of a medical cannabis program. With plans for the trial period to run for around two years, hopes are high that the experimentation will eventually evolve into a beneficial program for residents in need of not only medicine but also jobs.
“There will be about two years of experimentation with therapeutic cannabis, beginning as soon as the health ministry gives the green light,” Professor Nicolas Authier, the head of pharmacology at Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital Centre’s pain clinic, told FRANCE 24.
During this trial period, acquiring medical cannabis will not be an easy feat as doctors are instructed only to prescribe cannabis as a last resort, as senators worry that the normalization of medicinal products could lead to the eventual recreational legalization.
Further, lacking the ability to cultivate and grow on their own turf, France will be required to outsource to neighboring countries such as the Netherlands, one of the leading international exporters.
While this is just one small step for France in the marathon toward cannabis legalization, it’s always great to see strides toward the acceptance of cannabis’s medical benefits.
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