Drugs: “Killing traffic requires legalization, it’s the best way to dry up the illegal market”
Summary by Le Monde
While a report on the policy to combat drug trafficking is presented to the Assembly on Monday 17 February, its two authors, MPs Antoine Léaument and Ludovic Mendes, detail, in an interview with the “World”, their strategy, focused on prevention, medical monitoring and market control.
Liberation reports
Against drug trafficking, MPs Antoine Léaument (LFI) and Ludovic Mendes (EPR) call for the legalization of cannabis
In a report presented to the Law Commission on Monday 17 February, the two deputies, one from the left, the other from the presidential majority, propose legalising the consumption of cannabis. A position rejected by part of the presidential camp.
After seventeen months of work slowed down by the dissolution, the report finally sees the light of day: the two deputies Antoine Léaument (La France insoumise) and Ludovic Mendes (Ensemble pour la République) present their report on the fight against drug trafficking to the Law Commission on Monday, February 17. The two elected officials propose around sixty proposals, including the legalization and decriminalization of cannabis to stem drug trafficking in France. “We want to dry up this trafficking as much as possible, it’s worth billions of euros,” Ludovic Mendes said on RMC Découverte on Monday. The idea is to take away their financial resources so that [the traffickers] are not as powerful as they are today. The weaker they are, the better the justice system or the police will be able to attack them.”
Rather than approaching the subject from a security perspective, like Bruno Retailleau who believes that “when you smoke your cannabis or take your line of coke, you are somewhat responsible for settling scores” , the two deputies want to address the subject through the issue of public health. “We never talk about public health. Where is the Ministry of Health on this subject?” wonders the Macronist deputy on RMC, who wants consumers to be “supported in terms of the fight against addictions” . “People who are in a situation of dependency, addiction, will have less difficulty going to see doctors than in a situation where it is prohibited” , Antoine Léaument already estimated on April 1, 2024 on France Info. This legalization would also allow the State to better supervise the products sold. “We would like to potentially limit consumption in terms of weight, in terms of THC ,” explained Ludovic Mendes on RMC this Monday.
According to Le Parisien , the report proposes the creation of a body responsible for granting licenses to farmers, dealers or specialized pharmacies. While the report advocates legalization, it suggests several limits to be established, including the cultivation of a limited number of cannabis plants at home. And beyond the latter, the two rapporteurs are also interested in the trafficking of other drugs, including cocaine. Ludovic Mendes, for example, proposes decriminalization for possession of 3 grams of cocaine, a fixed fine of between 3 and 6 grams and a hearing before a judge beyond 6 grams, while Antoine Léaument opposes the fine above 3 grams, again according to Le Parisien. The report also focuses on money laundering, the “rearmament of judicial means” and the “protection of young people”.
While the legalization of cannabis is widely accepted within La France Insoumise, this position is not unanimous within the executive. In the government, Bruno Retailleau at the Interior and Gérald Darmanin at Justice are taking a hard line on the subject, not hesitating to launch a communication campaign to make consumers feel guilty , “responsible” according to the ministry’s words. In March 2024, Darmanin even proposed extending saliva tests on public roads to combat narcotics.
However, some figures close to Emmanuel Macron – he opposes it – have supported legalization. Ludovic Mendes advocates this solution, following in the footsteps of former Renaissance deputies Caroline Janvier and Jean-Baptiste Moreau, who already proposed legalization in a 2021 parliamentary report. Modem deputy Richard Ramos is also in favor. In November, the president of Jeunes avec Macron, Ambroise Méjean, distanced himself from the President on the subject. “What we have done currently does not work, ” he acknowledged. The objective of legalization is to break the black market and protect consumers.” The report by Ludovic Mendes and Antoine Léaument will be made public this Tuesday, February 18.
Source:
ICBC report
Momentum for cannabis policy and regulatory modernization efforts has increased in recent years in Europe, with three countries—Malta, Luxembourg, and Germany — having adopted national adult-use legalization measures.
France is one European nation that advocates hope will make history soon by adopting recreational legalization. A pair of lawmakers, Ludovic Mendes (EPR) and Antoine Léaument (LFI), recently filed a proposal in France to achieve that goal.
“This measure, which opposes the government’s repressive policy, would aim to regulate production and distribution via a public agency, on the model of the National Gaming Agency.” reported Entrevue in its local coverage (translated from French to English).
“Legalization advocates, such as the Addictions France association, point out that cannabis consumption is already massive in France, with around 4 million regular users. For them, lifting the ban would not cause a significant increase in consumption, but would on the contrary allow for stricter control of the product and a reduction in health risks.” the outlet also reported.
A recent report produced by NORML France determined that 99.7% of cannabis being consumed in the European nation is unregulated, which creates potential public health risks.
According to a recent newsletter sent out by international cannabis economist Beau Whitney of Whitney Economics, France is home to the largest total addressable cannabis market in the European Union with a value of $11.3 billion (midpoint).
A previous study by an economic advisory board within the nation’s prime minister’s office determined that the French government spends roughly €570m annually on cannabis prohibition enforcement. The study recommended that France adopt adult-use cannabis legalization and launch a regulated recreational industry.
Emmanuelle Auriol, a professor at the Toulouse School of Economics who authored the study’s report and findings, estimated that such a policy change could create as many as 80,000 new jobs, and generate €2.8bn in taxes annually.
