Polynesia to Legalize CBD Followed by Medical Cannabis

After his first 100 days in office, Moetai Brotherson announced this week that the project to legalize CBD in Polynesia is ready. Polynesia also has possible medical cannabis legalization in the works, which is set to follow the rollout of its CBD legalization bill.

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The New Legal Framework for Polynesia

The bill, known as Article LP3, establishes an innovative framework for the use and importation of hemp in Polynesia.

Article LP3 allows the Polynesian population to “transport, import, export, hold, offer, transfer, acquire, process, and use products containing or derived from hemp seeds.”

These products must be “devoid of intoxicating properties,” meaning that, for the moment, their THC content must be below 0.3%.

Challenges in Meeting THC Guidelines

Despite the tropical climate in Polynesia, cannabis plants nonetheless produce an explosion of phytocannabinoids, making it challenging for the local industry to maintain the 0.3% THC threshold set by French standards.

Under the initiative of its president, Philippe Cathelain, the Polynesian Cannabis Syndicate has advocated for this threshold to be increased to 1%, taking into account local conditions.

This recommendation comes from a French National Assembly information mission, which stressed the need for tolerance in overseas territories like Polynesia, as is already the case for Réunion.

The Three Key Aspects of the New Legislation

This new legislation for Polynesia has three essential components.

In addition to legalizing CBD, the Ministry of Agriculture has drafted a second text concerning the cultivation and processing of cannabis.

But the most anticipated aspect is the third one, related to medical cannabis in Polynesia. Beyond CBD’s anti-stress properties, healthcare professionals are particularly interested in THC’s pain-relief potential.

Medical Community in Polynesia Weighs In

Philippe Dupire, a pharmacist at the French Polynesia Hospital Center, emphasizes to TNTV that THC can be valuable for treating intractable pain and neurological diseases such as epilepsy.

However, the text specifies that products containing cannabis or cannabinoids can only be claimed to have therapeutic properties if they obtain authorization as medicines.

Currently, only three cannabis-based medications are available in mainland France, and this new legislation will allow their importation into Polynesia.

Exceptions for Certain Medications

The legislation provides exceptions for certain medications, allowing their use “on an exceptional basis” when “the implementation of the treatment is likely to benefit the patient” and when “the efficacy and safety of these medicines are strongly presumed based on current scientific knowledge.” 

The Polynesia Council of Ministers will compile a list of these exceptional medicines, which will likely include cannabis extracts and flowers.

Full Bill to Be Disclosed By Polynesia Soon

For now, the bill is yet to be made public. However, its release by Polynesia is expected to be made in the “coming days.”

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(Featured image by Damien Chaudet via Unsplash)

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