Question 16135 — health

Summary

Mr. Paul Christophe questions the Minister of Solidarity and Health on the authorization of cannabis for therapeutic purposes. A growing number of doctors emphasize the effectiveness of therapeutic cannabis in relieving the suffering of certain patients. The analgesic properties of cannabis make it possible to better manage chronic pain, physical disorders caused by chemotherapy, spasms and stiffness. muscles linked to multiple sclerosis. Even though around thirty countries in the world today authorize therapeutic cannabis, France is slow to make a decision. The National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) created, in September 2018, a temporary specialized scientific committee responsible for evaluating the relevance and feasibility of making therapeutic cannabis available in France. This committee delivered its conclusions on December 13, 2018, considering it relevant to authorize the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes in certain very specific clinical situations. He first recommends its use for patients suffering from “refractory pain” to therapies, medicinal or not, already accessible. He also declares himself in favor of its use in four other situations: for certain forms of severe epilepsy and drug-resistant patients, supportive care in oncology, palliative situations and in cases of painful spasticity of multiple sclerosis. Finally, the committee asks that a change in the legislation can be implemented. An experiment on the use of therapeutic cannabis could be launched, by the ANSM, in the summer of 2019 when all the elements of expertise have been submitted. The Ministry of Solidarity and Health launched, fall 2018, the first forum against pain because, although France has experienced three plans to combat pain (1998-2000, 2002-2005, 2006-2010), its management and treatment remain difficult. The possibility of using therapeutic cannabis has given a lot of hope to all these patients who suffer from pain that is difficult, if not impossible, to treat, and in particular patients suffering from fibromyalgia for whom there is no to date, there is no specific treatment or well-established management. Also, he would like to know what follow-up the ministry intends to give to the ANSM's conclusions and whether it will be able to include fibromyalgia patients in the experiment on the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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