France is expected to publish long-delayed regulations for its medical cannabis program in July, a key step toward establishing a broader national framework for patient access.

France’s health minister confirmed to Agence France-Presse this week that the regulatory texts needed to move the country’s medical cannabis system forward will be released next month.

The rules are expected to help define how France transitions from its limited medical cannabis experiment into a more permanent program. The experiment launched in 2021 and allowed certain patients with serious conditions to access cannabis-based medicines under a tightly controlled framework.

France has repeatedly extended the experiment while officials worked on the rules for a broader system. Although patients already enrolled have been allowed to continue receiving treatment, new patients have not been able to join since 2024.

The upcoming regulations are expected to address key details around how cannabis-based medicines will be authorized, produced, distributed and made available to patients. Reimbursement and product approval details are also expected to be central issues as the country moves toward implementation.

The July timeline gives patients, physicians and companies involved in the sector a clearer indication that France is moving closer to replacing its temporary experiment with a regulated national medical cannabis program.

France is one of several European countries to move toward expanded medical cannabis access in recent years, though its rollout has been slower than many patient advocates and industry groups had hoped.