France is the second-most populous country in the European Union, with a population of over 66 million people. The only European Union member nation with a larger population is Germany, with a population of over 84 million.
However, unlike Germany, which has a robust medical cannabis program and industry, France’s medical cannabis laws and regulations are still very limited. France’s current medical laws got their initial start in 2013, when French lawmakers authorized the use of cannabinoids in medicine.
That was then followed by another milestone that occurred in January 2014 when Sativex received authorization in France. Sativex was only authorized as a ‘last resort’ treatment for spasticity arising from multiple sclerosis. Epidiolex has been available in France since 2018 after receiving temporary authorizations for use, with the prescription medication obtaining a European marketing authorization in September 2019.
In addition to limited cannabis pharmaceutical access, France is also home to a medical cannabis pilot experiment. The French medical cannabis pilot project received initial approval from the federal Senate back in 2019. However, the launch of the trial was delayed until the spring of 2021 due to various reasons. The only legal medical cannabis patients in France right now are the ones participating in the pilot trial, and/or have received authorization for Sativex or Epidiolex.
According to a report that was recently released by Augur Associates and leading French cannabis media outlet Newsweed, the number of suffering patients being served by France’s current approach to medical cannabis policy is a minuscule fraction of what would be served by a more robust program. The report is titled “State of the Medical Cannabis Industry in France – 2025“.
“In France, and if allowed to be prescribed in first indication, the introduction of a legal framework for therapeutic cannabis could potentially ultimately benefit an estimated 2,311,626 patients with the conditions and symptoms currently included in the trial (refractory epilepsy, refractory neuropathic pain, MS, oncology and palliative care).” the report stated.
“If other conditions listed by the International Association for Medical Cannabis are included, the estimate could rise to 21,157,547 people likely to be affected by an illness or symptom that can be treated with therapeutic cannabis, i.e. ten times the number currently considered.” the report also stated.
According to the Augur Associates and Newsweed report, a total of 3,209 total patients have participated in the trial, although only 1,849 patients are currently active, with the report noting that “1,297 patients have left: 379 for lack of efficacy, 298 for adverse side effects.” Additionally, 2,291 healthcare professionals were trained as part of the pilot program.
As of 2022, the European Union Drugs Agency estimated that France had the greatest cannabis consumption rate of any of its member nations, with a reported 10.6% of France’s population having consumed cannabis at least once within the last year.
According to a recent newsletter sent out by leading international cannabis economist Beau Whitney of Whitney Economics, France is home to the largest total addressable cannabis market in the European Union, with a value of $11.3 billion (midpoint).
A previous study by an economic advisory board within the nation’s prime minister’s office determined that the French government spends roughly €570m annually on cannabis prohibition enforcement. The study recommended that France adopt adult-use cannabis legalization and launch a regulated recreational industry.
Emmanuelle Auriol, a professor at the Toulouse School of Economics who authored the study’s report and findings, estimated that such a policy change could create as many as 80,000 new jobs and generate €2.8bn in taxes annually.