France’s medical cannabis trial sparks market battle

Tensions are rising between European companies, Canadian firms and French producers as France prepares to allow imports of cannabis-based medical treatments on a trial basis later this year.

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The trial is set to last two years from September, with more than 3,000 patients in France expected to be the first to receive the new drugs.

Drug safety agency ANSM confirmed that it would be open to authorising “foreign products”, and said that it had already “auditioned” seven companies last year.

Several Canadian companies are already seeking to enter the market, along with Dutch firm Bedrocan and British group Emmac Life Sciences.

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