France is one decree away from completing its permanent medical cannabis framework. The text governing reimbursement is under review at the Conseil d’État and a decision could come in the coming weeks, according to a report by Paris-based consultancy Augur Associates covered by Business of Cannabis. For companies planning to enter the French market, publication marks the point where preparation turns into formal regulatory submissions.
Where the process stands
The move from pilot scheme to a stable system depends on two regulatory packages. The first, the decree defining ANSM authorisation plus two orders on product specifications and cultivation, cleared Conseil d’État review and the EU technical notification procedure in July 2026. The second, on reimbursement, is the one still missing.
The government told the Senate on 30 June that the text was finalised and validated by the Ministry of Economy, and sent it to the Conseil d’État in early July. Publication was expected after the summer. It has not happened. According to Augur’s sources, the draft first went through the CNAM, the national health insurer, and the summer recess and a change of health adviser at Matignon added further time. The tracker kept by patient platform MedCan agrees: the decree still has no confirmed publication date.
The timeline operators are working with
The delay is already having knock-on effects. In September the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) postponed hearings scheduled for 20 and 21 October, because it needs the published decree to assess reimbursement. ANSM product registration and price negotiations come after that.
Augur sees a first-quarter 2027 start for prescriptions under the permanent framework as plausible, provided review, signature and publication do not slip further. Its advice to companies is to plan against a range of dates rather than a single launch day.
Which products, and for whom
The therapeutic scope is unchanged since the February draft: refractory neuropathic pain, drug-resistant epilepsy, painful spasticity linked to multiple sclerosis or other central nervous system disorders, refractory cancer symptoms and advanced palliative situations.
On products, the text recognises three cannabinoid profiles: THC-dominant, balanced THC/CBD and CBD-dominant. Dried flower is not expected to be admitted. Fast-acting formats are only considered in sealed, non-refillable single-dose cartridges, and inhalation will rely on a CE-marked medical device. The approach is very close to Spain’s under Royal Decree 903/2025 and the AEMPS register of standardised preparations.
Volume is the big unknown. Fewer than 700 patients remain in the pilot, down from 1,849 in September 2024, because no new patients are being enrolled. Patient groups cite around 100,000 potentially eligible people, and Augur itself projected in 2025 roughly 100,000 reimbursed patients by 2030.
What it means for business
- EU-GMP producers and manufacturers: France is a product-by-product exercise. Now is the time to check which SKUs fit the three profiles and the permitted formats.
- Device makers: inhalation requires a CE-marked device and single-dose cartridges, a niche with few prepared players.
- Distribution and logistics: the rollout will be gradual, shaped by the HAS assessment and price talks.
- Investors: the timeline remains fragile. A French business plan should model several entry scenarios across 2027.
France, Spain and Southern Europe
With both France and Spain betting on standardised preparations without flower, Southern Europe is shaping up as a pharmaceutical extracts market, distinct from the German model. For an EU-GMP lab or grower, that changes what to produce and who to sell it to.
These regulatory shifts will be on the table at Spannabis B2B Bilbao 2027, on 11 March at the BEC VIP Hall, by which time the French framework should be up and running. If your company wants to enter these markets or find partners to do it, get your ticket or book a B2B table to meet European producers, laboratories and distributors.