Cannabis: The CESE recommends legalization in France
The CESE is clear: cannabis must be legalized in France....
It was during a plenary assembly that two rapporteurs from the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) presented their conclusions in what is known as the draft opinion Cannabis: Breaking the Status Quo, Towards Controlled Legalization.
This consultative body, which the government and parliamentarians can consult on various subjects if they wish, clearly ruled in favor of controlled legalization of cannabis in France on January 24th.
The CESE worked on the subject for nearly 10 months. During this period, punctuated by research and hearings, its social representatives (employers, unions, associations) endeavored to review existing public policies before evaluating their potential impact and evolution, from immobility to legalization, including decriminalization.
This work is reminiscent of that conducted by the Cannabis Information Mission in early 2021. As a reminder, that body distinguished itself by its general inaction, whether on medical cannabis, therapeutic cannabis, or CBD.
The CESE does not hesitate to go back to the 1970s and speaks of a "dismal failure of the policy pursued for about fifty years," an undisguised reference to the desire to repress drug use, the objective of which at the time was to make France a drug-free country.
Another measure targeted by the Committee: the âŹ200 flat-rate fine, deemed useless due to its low severity (only simple and public use of cannabis is concerned) and the precariousness of the population that tends to incur it (mostly disadvantaged young people).
The report asserts: "From a public health perspective, the prevention actions carried out are generally ineffective, especially among young consumers who are increasingly exposed to uncontrolled products." It adds that prohibition prevents the principle of prevention and "heavily mobilizes police and judicial services, without any real effect on the extent of trafficking and the level of consumption, which remains the highest in Europe."
Opening of Cannabis Social Clubs and Authorization of Cultivation
There are many examples, and France could well draw inspiration from other countries that have taken the plunge. Let's mention Malta, Canada, or even Germany, which recently initiated the process. In this regard, the CESE suggests "controlled legalization" of cannabis at all levels: production, distribution, and consumption.
Aware that the change and the actions it entails will take time, the CESE is positioning itself on a first phase of decriminalization focused on the opening of Cannabis Social Clubs and the authorization of cultivation. The Committee would like these measures to be combined with an effort around cannabis testing for driving: to date, the methods used do not differentiate between cannabis consumption and driving under the influence of cannabis. This is explained by the persistent presence of THC traces in the blood weeks after consumption.
Helno Eyriey, former president of Unef, and Florent Compain, spokesperson for Les Amis de la Terre France, are the two rapporteurs dispatched by the CESE. They specify that their work and the conclusions reached have "a public health objective," and that their implementation would allow "to weaken and dry up illegal trafficking as much as possible."
Pragmatically, the CESE calls for rejecting dogma and promoting a broad public debate. A debate in which it calls for the involvement of "the people who do, because they are the ones who know."
Finally, the CESE is in favor of raising the THC level in hemp up to 1%, as well as deepening research into cannabis to gain a better understanding of the interactions of this plant with humans, and also to develop industrial, technological, or textile uses.
