French Parliament Becomes More Cannabis-Friendly

The French Parliament released a report on Wed, Jan. 17 that recommends the implementation of a reduction in consequences for those who have been charged with a cannabis-related offense.

The current consequence of being charged with a cannabis-related offense is up to one year jail time and a fine of up to 3,750 euros. The French Parliament’s recent recommendation would reduce the fine for such an offense to 150-200 euros. This is a welcome change, since there were an estimated 64,000 drug-related convictions in France in 2015, according to France24.com. That same year, 40,000 convictions were a result of illegal drug use, but there were only 3,098 that were actually convicted with a prison sentence.

There’s an astounding number of convictions, but even more time wasted for police enforcement who could spend their time elsewhere. “The fixed fine of 150-200 euros that I propose would enable police officers in the field to stop the legal procedure there and then with the person who has been caught,” MP Robin Reda told Le Parisien. “The advantage of this is that the punishment is immediate and systematic.”

France is notorious for its strict cannabis laws, but according to recent data, French citizens smoke more cannabis that any other country in Europe. A total of 17 million people in France have tried cannabis, with 1.4 million who consume it often and an estimated 700,000 who consume every day.

Even with the support of many French citizens, full legalization is not currently an option. Politicians like French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire believe that only a minor change is necessary. “This is my personal conviction: Cannabis must not be legalized. On the other hand, we must take a good hard look at where we have gone wrong . . . we have the harshest laws in Europe, yet the highest consumption rates.”