INTERVIEW
190 million people use cannabis worldwide. And the legislation surrounding the consumption and sale of marijuana is changing in many countries ... Journalists Stephanie Loridon and Xavier Deleu have looked into the subject and have released an international survey, Big Marijuana, when the deal becomes legal (in bookstores and newspapers). replay on Arte). They were particularly interested in the consequences of this legalization, whether on the producers, the traffickers but also the authorized resellers.
Producers in crisis, traffickers in "reconversion"
"So far, the suppliers of illegal weed for the United States were in Mexico.We went to see the people who work to supply this chain, those who cultivate, who are kind of wholesalers who deliver to the cartels, and their homes. is the crisis, "reports Xavier Deleu at the microphone of Philippe Vandel, Saturday. "They can not sell their grass anymore, they're trying to find better quality grass because they're not competitive at all, but now the cartels are turning to a plan B: they're going to other drugs , including heroin, which is found in force in several states like Michigan, "he said.
But Xavier Deleu is keen to point out that consumers of heroin in the United States will not be the same customers of these cartels who previously sold cannabis: "a consumer of weed will not start tomorrow to consume heroin . " According to him, the legalization of cannabis has a first impact on the professional activity of these cartels: "When we legalize, traffickers lose the marijuana market, so they will do other activities." So the legalization does not disappear cartels or mafias, these simply change activity, "he summarizes.
Economic benefits for states and businesses
Another consequence of the legalization of cannabis, financially this time: thanks to legalization, US states can now levy a tax on these sales of cannabis and finance social programs. "In Colorado, since they opened legal cannabis stores, there has been $ 6 billion in legal cannabis sales in four years, using the money collected through the tax ($ 1 billion collected on the six billion, editor's note) to finance education, renovate schools, build schools, and take preventive action, of course ", explains Stéphanie Loridon. "And it is 6 billion that escape the traffickers," added Xavier Deleu.
In Canada, where cannabis was legalized last October by the government of Justin Trudeau, companies are embarking on this lucrative business, including alcohol groups like Heineken. "Those who benefit from the legalization of cannabis are big companies, in Canada, they are specialized companies, authorized producers, the world's largest Canopy.Its president has a phenomenal daring, he goes very quickly, buys boxes. of cannabis in the world, opens installations everywhere ", develops Stéphanie Loridon. In France, where 700,000 people would consume cannabis every day, it is estimated that there is a loss of some 1.3 billion euros for the state.