First approved in 2019, launched in March 2021, and initially planned for a two-year period, the French experimentation on the medical use of cannabis has been extended several times. These extensions reflect strong therapeutic expectations. They also highlight the difficulty of integrating cannabis-based medicinal products into a stable regulatory framework in France.

The last experimentation period officially ended on 31 December 2024. At that time, no permanent legal regime had been adopted. This situation raised immediate concerns among health care professionals and members of the temporary scientific committee, who warned public authorities about the risk of treatment disruption for patients already included in the program.

In response, the French Minister of Health confirmed that access to medical cannabis would continue beyond this date for existing patients. This transitional access was first secured until 30 June 2025 and then until 31 March 2026.

At the same time, the French Government took steps to prepare a future permanent regulatory framework and notified the European Commission of three draft regulatory documents in March 2025. These included a decree establishing the authorization framework for cannabis-based medicinal products by the French National Agency for Healthcare and Medicinal Products' Safety (ANSM), and two ministerial orders (i) defining pharmaceutical specifications and authorized indications, and (ii) governing cultivation and traceability for medical use. However, as of January 2026, none of the notified texts has been adopted in France.

In parallel, the Ministry of Health referred the matter to the French Health Authority (HAS) on 17 March 2025. The HAS was asked to assess the therapeutic value of cannabis-based medicinal products. It has published its evaluation methodology, but its final opinion is still pending and is expected before March 2026.

Despite these initiatives, uncertainty still affects patients, health care professionals, and market participants. In this context, the ANSM has formally requested a further extension of access to medical cannabis and on 15 January 2026, the French Ministry of Health announced an upcoming postponement of the end of the medical cannabis experimentation. The period leading up to 31 March 2026 is therefore pivotal. The adoption of the regulatory texts, the HAS final opinion, and a governmental decision on the post-transition framework will determine the future use of medical cannabis in France.