- ANSM — Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament et des produits de santé
Primary regulator. Issues import authorizations, EU-GMP certificates, manages ATU (Autorisation Temporaire d'Utilisation) framework for medicinal cannabis. France's EU-GMP enforcement authority.
- Import authorizations for pharmaceutical-grade cannabis
- EU-GMP certification and inspections
- ATU framework management
- Narcotic import/export licensing
- Ministry of Health — Ministère de la Santé
Sets national medicinal cannabis policy. Oversees ANSM. France's medical cannabis framework established by Décret 2020-1230; pilot program ran 2021–2024 before conversion to permanent status.
- National medicinal cannabis policy
- Oversight of ANSM
- EU treaty obligations
- Hospital Pharmacies — Initial dispensing point, expanding to community
Historically the sole dispensing point for medicinal cannabis under the ATU framework. Expansion to community pharmacies underway as the program transitions from pilot to permanent.
- French pharmacy license
- Hospital pharmacy authorization for narcotics
- ATU documentation on file
- Specialist Prescribers — Physicians prescribing under ATU framework
Physicians who prescribe medicinal cannabis under the ATU framework. Must be specialists (pain, neurology, oncology, etc.). General practitioners cannot initiate ATU prescriptions.
- Specialist physician qualification
- ATU prescription authority
- ANSM-prescribed prescribing protocols
- Patients — End recipients — growing access
Patients with access to medicinal cannabis via ATU framework. The pilot program (2021–2024) demonstrated demand; permanent framework expands access. France is an import-only country — no domestic commercial cultivation for medical use.