The former mayor of Saint-Ouen in favor of legalizing cannabis

On the news website « Views«Jacqueline Rouillon, the former mayor of Saint-Ouen, is calling for a radical change in policy. A member of the «Front de Gauche» party, she describes her suffering and the government’s inability to stop cannabis trafficking. In this interview, she is joined by sociologist Anne Coppel, author of the book «Exploring Alternatives to Prohibition».

The First Disorganized Steps

When she took office as mayor in 1999, the drug trade was loosely organized, localized, and—above all—confined to small, isolated sales points. She quotes a police officer from Bobigny:  »Things are okay now, but the day they start operating as a network, it’ll be a disaster.» At that time, there was a noticeable lull in drug trafficking during the summer vacation. Even drug dealers are entitled to a break.

However, the network was established in the early 2000s. The number of sales outlets multiplied, and territorial rivalries emerged. The organization of drug trafficking led to a sharp rise in violence: settling of scores and senseless violence began to plague the city. This organization, along with the influx of customers, led the media to describe Saint-Ouen as a drug «supermarket.» «Employees» can commit to this line of work long-term or even fill in for someone for two weeks and leave just as quickly as they arrived.

Hatred of the police, social peace, and the lack of an alternative

Cracking down on users and small-time dealers causes harm on both sides. The police waste their time chasing after those at the bottom of the drug trafficking pyramid. The young dealer or user is released shortly afterward, often without further action or with only a minor charge. However, this arrest is bound to fuel «anti-police» sentiment. Faced with ever-intensifying crackdowns, the former mayor notes that drug traffickers are becoming increasingly well-organized. Furthermore, Jacqueline Rouillon highlights the «hypocrisy» of the law enforcement system. Even if the judicial and police systems were improved, drug trafficking will never stop as long as it generates money.

The former mayor of Saint-Ouen emphasizes social peace and the use of money from trafficking. According to her, the root of the problem lies in the poverty of these communities. Entire families, single mothers, and young people without income rely on these illegal earnings. If these sources of income dry up, these individuals will turn to other forms of trafficking or more traditional forms of theft. Ms. Roussillon states that former drug dealers who start dealing around the ages of 22 or 23 know they must integrate into the legal economy, as life without filing taxes and earning legal income is impossible.

A Specialist's Comments

The fatal mistake came in 2007, when the government decided to intensify the «war on drugs,» starting with the users. The goal was to instill fear and thereby reduce traffic to drug dealing hotspots. It’s a policy that can safely be described as a resounding failure. Ms. Anne Coppel advocates for a gradual approach to reform:

1. Decriminalization
2. Legalization of Medical Use
3. Small-scale self-production
4. Recreational legalization.

She also proposes, as another alternative, a more targeted approach to crime. To support this, she cites the example of Boston, a city where endemic crime had driven residents away. The city chose to target violent criminals while allowing cannabis trafficking to continue relatively unchecked. Crime has since dropped significantly, and the state of Massachusetts will vote on November 8 on the legalization of cannabis.

Today, a book written by two journalists from the « Parisian » about the town of Saint-Ouen is now available in bookstores. « A City Under Control »tells the story of users, dealers, traffickers, and residents. Based on a year-long immersive project, this book provides a detailed overview of the city's current situation.".

Théo Caillart