France: MPs consult the French on "recreational" cannabis
France has 900,000 daily cannabis smokers.
AFP / File
Text by: Nicolas Sanders Follow
9 min
The parliamentary information mission on the regulations and the impact of the different uses of cannabis has launched an online citizen consultation on so-called “recreational” cannabis, the consumption, possession and sale of which are prohibited in France.
The largest consumer country in Europe, France also has one of the most repressive laws in this area.
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Already more than 200,000 people in two weeks responded to the citizen consultation on recreational cannabis, launched by a mission of deputies.
An online questionnaire available until February 28, which will provide a better understanding of the point of view of the French on the subject.
The results should corroborate recent polls which indicate that one in two French people are in favor of a change in the law.
The questionnaire, which remains completely anonymous, reviews various aspects related to decriminalization (the end of criminal sanctions) and legalization (authorized sale), with questions such as "
Do you think that the current system of repression of does cannabis use limit its extent?
","
If legalized, how do you imagine the cannabis trade?
","
What would be the budgetary priorities that could be financed by the fiscal resources likely to be generated by the supervised sale of cannabis?
"
The fact
-finding
mission, which brings together about thirty deputies of different political sensibilities, has already looked into
therapeutic cannabis
, and before its report on the recreational part, will have to deliver its conclusions on so-called cannabis in mid-February. “Well-being”, which relates in particular to the cannabidiol molecule, more commonly known as CBD.
Deprived of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active principle of cannabis which causes psychotropic effects, this last molecule does not modify the state of consciousness, and is officially not considered as a narcotic product.
Its ban in France was ruled illegal on November 19, 2020 by the Court of Justice of the European Union, a decision that opens up new perspectives for the hemp industry.
5 million cannabis users in France
An old sea serpent, the legalization of cannabis is a subject that has come back to haunt the public debate in France for the past thirty years.
It is because France also cultivates the strange paradox of having some of the most repressive cannabis legislation in Europe, and of being also the largest consuming country on the continent, with 5 million users per year and 900,000 daily smokers, according to figures from the French Drugs Observatory.
This subject deserves to be "
treated in a less caricatured way than it has often been, with the moral argument which often makes it difficult to move forward
", advocates Loiret MP Caroline Janvier (LREM), member of the fact-finding mission.
An opinion that does not share the Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, who said last September was opposed to the legalization of "
this shit
".
Neither Emmanuel Macron, who in more civilized terms than those of his minister declared himself "
not favorable
" during his interview with the online media Brut.
This did not prevent, in a "at the same time" very Macron-compatible, the Economic Analysis Council (CAE), a group of economists attached to Matignon, from publishing in June 2019 a note to defend the legalization of cannabis, by noting the failure of prohibition.
The authors of this note, Emmanuelle Auriol and Pierre-Yves Geoffard, considered that legalization would make it possible "
both to fight against organized crime, to restrict access to the product for the youngest and to develop an economic sector, creator of 'jobs and tax revenue
'.
A proposal swept aside with the back of the hand by the then Minister of Health, Agnès Buzyn.
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A few years ago, the proponents of legalization were artists, intellectuals, with a societal approach directly resulting from the post-1968 era.
From now on, more and more of them are taking their place in the debate with sounding economic arguments, as well as a consideration of the security realities linked to trafficking.
Pierre-Yves Geoffard, professor at the Paris School of Economics and health expert, one of the authors of the CAE study, or Christian Ben Lakhdar, professor of economics at the University of Lille, is each declare in favor of the
legalization of weed and hashish
, in their words to fight against a triple disaster: security, economic and health.
François-Michel Lambert, Liberté Égalité Fraternité (LEF) deputy for Bouches-du-Rhône, who is one of the secretaries of the parliamentary information mission, tells RFI his wish to include the legalization of cannabis on the program of discussions on April 8, “
to create a debate, in the hemicycle and not only through an internet consultation platform of the National Assembly
”.
The chosen one is not at his first attempt.
In June 2019, with about twenty deputies, he tabled a bill relating to "
the controlled legalization of the production, sale and consumption of cannabis
".
At the same time, the CAE agreed with 70 doctors, economists and elected officials signing a pro-legalization petition in L'Obs.
But in the mind of some members of the mission, like the deputy Caroline Janvier, the work undertaken with the various reports and the online consultation will also have its usefulness in view of the presidential election of 2022, would not be - what to get the candidates to take a clear position.
"
A sacrifice for a political calculation
", bitterly regrets the deputy Lambert.
If he admits that "
there will be no final vote
" in the wake of April 8, he intends to "
shake up
" the legislative status quo, in the name of the urgency of which he is aware: "
Every day lost, the Republic loses its children killed in trafficking, it loses its children who consume trafficked cannabis, it loses financial means.
"
►
Access the consultation
►
Information mission on the regulations and the impact of the different uses of cannabis
In France, since September 1, a fixed tort fine of 200 euros has been imposed on cannabis consumers.
Growing above 0.2% THC, selling, possessing or consuming cannabis is strictly prohibited.
Most of France's European neighbors have a more flexible approach, since cannabis is decriminalized there.
This is the case for Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland or Portugal.
Regarding legalization, in Europe only Spain allows private cultivation for personal consumption and consumption by adults in a private space.
There are currently over 500 private cannabis clubs in the country, known as “cannabis social clubs”.
The club member does not buy weed directly.
His contribution finances the cultivation costs and entitles him to part of the harvest.
It should be remembered that in the Netherlands cannabis is not legal but benefits from de facto decriminalization.
Possession and cultivation are illegal but tolerated and decriminalized below 5 grams and 5 plants.
Use and trade are prohibited outside coffee shops.
Elsewhere in the world, several American states have taken the step of legalizing recreational cannabis (California, Colorado, Washington State).
In 2013, Uruguay was the first country in the world to allow the cultivation, production, distribution and sale of cannabis for recreational use.
In Africa,
Lesotho was in 2008 the first country
to legalize medical cannabis.
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