Medical cannabis: for what purpose?

This year, 3000 patients with serious pathologies will be able to relieve their symptoms thanks to medical cannabis (with CBD and THC). An unprecedented experiment in France which should move the sector in a few years! We take stock with the doctor Pascal Douek, author of the book “Medical Cannabis, a new chance”.

Remember, during our Twitch live stream on April 16th to celebrate World Cannabis Day, the “420 Day”, Laure, founder of HO KARAN, brought together in our show all the cannabis specialists in France: business leaders, politicians, journalists… Among them, Pascal Douek, a doctor and member of the scientific committee for experimentation on medical cannabis and author of “Medical Cannabis, a new chance”.

Watch The 420 Show again with all the cannabis experts in France

As he announced during the program, a first medical study on the therapeutic use of cannabis began last March. The idea? To relieve the suffering of 3000 patients with serious illnesses—for whom “traditional” treatments are currently ineffective—who have agreed to test the long-term benefits of hemp (with and without THC). This is a considerable step forward in the field, potentially opening the door to more cases (between 300.000 and 1 million patients could be eligible) and, consequently, the development of French hemp industries to meet the demand. Who is this study aimed at? Can it truly move things forward? Why is France so far behind in terms of legislation? Dr. Pascal Douek sheds some light on this.

Please note, to begin with, we are not talking about a clinical study but rather an experiment. Cannabis efficacy is not evaluated, but rather an authorization framework (on 5 indications) is defined for 2 years. Since March 2021, we have observed the entire chain: whether doctors are prescribing cannabis to 3000 eligible people, whether pharmacists dispense it, whether the patients concerned are taking their treatment well and / or feeling relieved. With this experiment, we are trying to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of this new eco-system in France. For this, certain actors have been trained, companies (abroad, for legal reasons) have been selected to supply cannabis ...

If their pathologies are different, these 3000 patients have one thing in common: their body is not responding (or no longer) to treatments at the present time. In short, cannabis is for them a last chance to be relieved, it is a huge hope. More specifically concerning the profiles, the scientific committee defined five indications: severe neuropathic pain, epileptic seizures, multiple sclerosis, patients on anti-cancer chemotherapy who face many side effects, and patients in end of life, in palliative care.

For 2 years, these patients will consume cannabis in two forms: oils, and dried flowers. 3 varieties of hemp will be studied: the first with a balanced THC / CBD ratio, the second with a dominant THC rate, and the last on the contrary, with more CBD than THC.

Wellness cannabis is for healthy people who are simply looking for well-being and a better quality of life: sleep disorders, anxiety, certain types of pain... HO KARAN products (like Antidote , Day Over , OKLM infusion , Libertine oil , etc.) are examples of wellness cannabis! Wellness cannabis is legal in France because THC levels are below 0,2%, with CBD, the other non-psychoactive molecule present in the hemp flower, being the main component.

Medical cannabis, or therapeutic cannabis, is intended for patients with severe pathologies. We use the plant in its entirety (with or without THC), and its use is prescribed and supervised by the medical profession. It is not yet authorized in France, and that is exactly the subject of this great experiment.

It has been 5000 years since the first ancient civilizations (Greeks, Chinese, Romans, Egyptians ...) that doctors have used cannabis to relieve their patients: pain, but also loss of appetite, muscle contractures etc.

In the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, cannabis was rediscovered with colonizations: the French with Egypt, the English with India, etc. These civilizations imported cannabis for use until the XNUMXth century, at the start of prohibition. It is only since the XNUMXst century that the markets have become more fluid, starting with Canada.

In France, we are late first for political reasons. However, it is also the biggest cannabis consumer in Europe! The repressive system is very severe (as in the United States in certain states) on the side of dealers as well as consumers, it is part of the history of France! The idea of ​​allowing medical cannabis is scary. Politicians are not taking the plunge because for them, it is the first step to legalize cannabis at all.

On the one hand, the Minister of the Interior, Gérarld Darmanin - openly against legalization - qualified cannabis as “poison” (note: last August 24 on franceinfo), on the other we are launching this great experiment on cannabis medical, difficult to navigate.

And besides, France isn't exactly known for being the most "innovative" country in the world. We tend to look at what's happening in neighboring countries. With the legalization of medical cannabis in some forty countries*, the pressure is mounting. Healthcare professional associations and some politicians are advocating for the authorization of medical cannabis because we can't let patients suffer without offering them this readily available solution.

* Medical cannabis is authorized in Canada, the Netherlands, Israel, in 33 states of the United States, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Peru… And on the European Union side, in 21 out of 28 countries : Germany, United Kingdom, Portugal, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Cyprus ...

That's the big question, but I'd rather be optimistic. The experiment started in March with 1000 patients, and in a while there will be 2000 more. What I hope is that in a year and a half, once the experiment is over, we will not let down the people who have been able to be relieved by cannabis.

Thanks to Dr. Pascal Douek for his insights. To learn more, check out his book “Medical Cannabis: A New Chance,” published by SOLAR.

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