France to Give Out Free Cannabis

The French Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) selected the companies that will supply France’s medical cannabis pilot program that’s intended to provide free products to patients enrolled in the trial.

Cannabis companies from Australia, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom – in partnership with French pharmaceutical distributors – will provide the products for up to 3,000 patients and will not receive any money for supplying the medical cannabis.

French authorities selected main suppliers, as well as substitute suppliers to cover any shortfalls.

Applicants were judged on products, manufacturing and supply criteria.

Neither the government nor patients will have to pay for the medical marijuana, which will be supplied by the participating companies at their own cost.

The participating companies have no guarantee they will remain suppliers in the event France broadens access to medical cannabis after the experiment.

However, “with hundreds of patients already treated (at the end of the experiment) and doctors used to prescribing their products, this is probably a marketing advantage,” Nicolas Authier, a university professor and chair of the ANSM scientific committee on medical cannabis, said last October.

Cannabis products will be used only as a last resort and must meet pharmaceutical-quality standards.

Only patients with certain qualifying conditions will be permitted to participate in the trial.

“Distance learning for health professionals should start at the end of February and the first prescriptions before March 31,” Authier said.

Here’s the complete list of suppliers and their partners for distribution:

THC dominant

Lot 1.1: Flower with more than 8% THC and less than 1% CBD.

• Main supplier: Aurora in partnership with Ethypharm.

• Substitute: Tilray in partnership with Medipha Sante.

Lot 1.2: Sublingual oil with more than 5 milligrams of THC per milliliter and less than 1 milligram of CBD per milliliter.

• Main supplier: Tilray in partnership with Medipha Sante.

• Substitute: Panaxia in partnership Neuraxpharm France.

Lot 1.3: Oral oils with more than 5 milligrams of THC per milliliter and less than 1 milligram of CBD per milliliter.

• Main supplier: Panaxia in partnership with Neuraxpharm France.

• Substitute: Emmac Life Sciences in partnership with Boiron.

THC and CBD balanced:

Lot 2.1: Flower with more than 5% THC and 5% CBD.

• Main supplier: Aurora in partnership with Ethypharm.

• Substitute: Tilray in partnership with Medipha Sante.

Lot 2.2: Sublingual oil with more than 5 milligrams of THC and 5 milligrams of CBD per milliliter.

• Main supplier: Tilray in partnership with Medipha Sante.

• Substitute: Little Green Pharma in partnership with Intsel Chimos.

Lot 2.3: Oral oils with more than 5 milligrams of THC and 5 milligrams of CBD per milliliter.

• Main supplier: Panaxia in partnership with Neuraxpharm.

• Substitute: Emmac Life Sciences in partnership with Boiron.

CBD dominant:

Lot 3.2: Sublingual oil with less than 1 milligram of THC per milliliter and more than 5 milligrams of CBD per milliliter.

• Main supplier: Little Green Pharma in partnership with Intsel Chimos.

• Substitute: Althea in partnership Laboratoires Bouchara Recordati.

Lot 3.4: Flower with less than 5% THC and more than 5% CBD.

• Main supplier: Aurora in partnership with Ethypharm.

• No substitute.

Lot 3.5: Sublingual oil with less than 5 milligram of THC per milliliter and more than 5 milligram of CBD per milliliter.

• Main supplier: Little Green Pharma in partnership Intsel Chimos.

• Substitute: Panaxia in partnership with Neuraxpharm France.