by 20/03 /25, then PL with AFP – 04/09 /25
The Academy of Medicine relies on certain studies carried out in countries where cannabis has been legalized to reaffirm its opposition to legalization in France.
The French Academy of Medicine reiterated, this Wednesday, April 9, its long-standing opposition to the legalization of cannabis in France, citing certain recent studies which point to negative effects in terms of public health in countries which have authorized the consumption of this drug.
“The legalization of the ‘recreational’ use of cannabis would cause serious problems in terms of public health”, said this institution in a press release, which aims to express medical consensus on a given subject.
This position has been assumed for several decades by the Academy of Medicine, which expresses itself above all on the consequences of legalization in matters of public health and not, for example, crime.
An opinion based on studies carried out in other countries
The institution explains this new communication by the fact that the scientific literature has recently been expanded based on the experience of several territories having legalized cannabis, including Canada and more and more American states.
“Recently published medical data confirms (…) the problems that have arisen in countries that have carried out such legalization”, says the Academy.
Among the studies cited, one, carried out in Canada and published in 2022 in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that with legalization, the proportion of patients testing positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active substance in cannabis has doubled among motorists hospitalized after an accident.
Also in Canada, a study, published in 2025 in the Jama Network Open, showed that, among patients hospitalized for schizophrenia, the proportion associated with cannabis use tripled, going from around 3% to more than 10%.
The Academy’s position is also part of a political context where deputies – from the left and Macronist ranks – proposed at the start of the year to legalize the use and the possession of cannabis, according to a “closely regulated model”.
Conversely, the institution insists on “maintaining the ban in France on the sale and consumption of cannabis” and on increasing prevention among young people.
Source: https://www.bfmtv.com/sante/un-soulagement-enorme-le-processus-vers-la-legalisation-du-cannabis-therapeutique-relance-par-le-gouvernement_AV-202503200126.html