A man smokes cannabis (illustrative image).
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Thomas SAMSON / AFP
The information mission on the regulations and the impact of the different uses of cannabis was created in January 2020.
Since November 2020, the 33 deputies who make it up have been interested in recreational cannabis and have heard from around 80 experts.
Parliamentarians note "the ineffectiveness of the policy pursued for fifty years" in this area and consider it necessary "to evolve on this issue", indicates the deputy of Loiret Caroline Janvier, thematic rapporteur of the mission.
The question of the legalization of cannabis comes back to Parliament.
Since November 2020, the 33 deputies who make up a fact-finding mission have been interested in the issue of regulation and the impact of the different uses of this substance, whether they are recreational or therapeutic.
They have already interviewed around 80 experts: doctors, addictologists, law enforcement officials, etc. They have also launched an online questionnaire to obtain the opinions of the French on the subject and have already received more than 200,000 responses.
At the end of their work, the deputies of the mission will present, next spring, a report which will include several proposals, in particular on the subject of recreational cannabis.
Already, a consensus seems to be emerging: it is necessary to get things done so that France can catch up in the fight against cannabis consumption.
While the government of Emmanuel Macron has intensified the repression of consumers with the creation of a flat-rate fine, a question arises: could coffee-shops open in France in 2022?
To find out, we interviewed Caroline Janvier, Member of Parliament (LREM) for Loiret and thematic rapporteur for the mission.
Why did you have the idea of launching an online consultation on the issue of cannabis?
It seemed useful to us to involve all citizens in our work.
The fact-finding mission hears experts, doctors, addictologists, law enforcement officials… But it also seemed necessary to us to consult the French because, according to polls, they have evolved a lot on the issue of cannabis.
Almost one in two is in favor of its legalization, eight out of ten are in favor of opening a debate, and seven out of ten consider that the policy implemented since 1970 is ineffective.
Indeed, all the experts explain that we are at an impasse.
We spend more than 500 million euros each year to fight against trafficking and consumption.
However, each year, consumption increases in France.
We are among the biggest consumers in Europe.
While other countries that have legalized cannabis have managed to reduce its consumption, especially that of young people.
They have also succeeded in combating trafficking and thus improving security.
Another public policy model is therefore possible to achieve these health and safety objectives.
How many people responded?
This consultation is very successful, we were surprised by the size of the number of responses.
We have already received more than 200,000.
On reading them, we see that the people who answer are mostly young men who know the subject well and are sometimes activists.
For or against the legalization of #cannabis and especially why?
The @ AssembleeNat asks for your opinion!
The citizen questionnaire (strictly anonymous) to find here and share ➡️ https://t.co/GFsxsfauEk pic.twitter.com/l101qkwqHt
- Robin Reda (@robinreda) January 13, 2021
Certain answers show it well.
Most of them know, for example, that there is a scientific consensus that alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous and addictive than cannabis.
This observation was notably relayed by the scientific journal
The Lancet
in 2010. Today, we wish to open this consultation to more French people to have a photograph that is closer to reality.
What's next ?
Next spring, we are going to submit a report which will be supported by recent data, and which will have been enriched with feedback from abroad.
In Canada, for example, the legalization of cannabis has led to a decrease in consumption among the youngest.
This document could serve as a support for the presidential election of 2022, allow to reopen the debate on cannabis, to change its terms.
We notably interviewed Rachida Dati [mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris and candidate to represent the right in the presidential election] and she was very open on this subject.
We can see that there is an evolution within the political class.
A survey shows in particular that more than half of the mayors of Ile-de-France are in favor of a change in legislation and a supervised legalization of this product.
We must stop having an ideological, moral, Manichean approach, consisting in saying that drugs are bad.
It is not a question of being for or against cannabis but of finding the best model to fight against trafficking and protect vulnerable users.
To legalize does not mean to trivialize.
Quite the contrary.
It is a way of better taking into account the risks and of ensuring that the State regains control over trafficking.
There have already been parliamentary reports on the issue of cannabis, but successive governments have never listened to the deputies who were the authors ...
I think there is a conjunction of factors.
We did a job that, frankly, has never been done, in a very interesting setting.
This commission is chaired by an LR deputy, Robin Reda, with LREM rapporteurs and members of LFI, the PS, so it is a real transpartisan work.
In general, I feel that we do not have the same level of maturity on this subject as ten or fifteen years ago.
And there is also everything that is happening abroad.
We can see that the longer we take to debate this subject, the more we will fall behind economically.
We can see it clearly with the question of therapeutic cannabis.
It is a shame that France is behind on this subject because once the sectors are structured and organized, it is much more complicated ...
Is it possible to think that cannabis will be legalized in France in 2022?
In any case, the question of legalization may appear on the program of certain candidates.
Then there will always be time to structure things.
The mission does not aim only to answer the question for or against legalization.
It also aims to present the best tools to achieve the goals we set for ourselves.
Three have been identified.
The first concerns health: today, there are only 45 million euros devoted to the issue of care and prevention.
Obviously, consumption cannot go down.
The second objective concerns security.
Territories in which the traffickers are established have become out of control and significant tax revenues are slipping away from the state.
Finally, there is the issue of social justice.
Depending on where they live and other criteria, consumers are not sanctioned in the same way.
Depending on these three objectives, we do not build the same model.
If we want to dry up the black market, we will not set the same price per gram as if we want to protect the health of consumers and enforce the ban on minors.
In this report, we will propose different turnkey models depending on the objective that will be set.
Is there a consensus among the deputies of the mission?
Yes, there is a finding of ineffectiveness of the policy pursued for fifty years, with this model of prohibition that we cannot even apply because we do not have the means.
A consensus is also emerging on the need to evolve on this issue.
We will then have to make proposals.
There may be differences that will appear in the report.
Personally, my priority is public health.
It is necessary to have a real component of prevention and support for users who have problematic consumption.
We see this with the example of Portugal which, since 2001, has decriminalized all drugs.
In this country, we have stopped considering drug addicts as criminals but as sick.
And the results obtained are indisputable.
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