Christophe Bex, LFI MP: «Legalizing cannabis is going to be a long battle»

The La France Insoumise (LFI) deputy for Haute-Garonne has given a meeting to Newsweed in his office at the French National Assembly. Between a book on Jean Jaurès and a book on nuclear power, the chairman of the cannabis study group says he's not too busy. «content» of his new role, even if he still has a lot to learn about cannabis. Like his predecessor, he is in favor of a «supervised legalization of cannabis» in France.

Newsweed: Before becoming a Member of Parliament, you worked for 15 years at La Poste, then in the administration of the University of Paris. Toulouse. At the French National Assembly, you sit on the National Defense Committee. How did you end up in this cannabis group?

Christophe Bex: When the president of the LFI group, Mathilde Panot, asked deputies which study group each wanted to sit on, I applied for the group on rurality, because I grew up in the Meuse, and on cannabis. I've always found the French model aberrant. And cannabis is a cross-cutting issue, involving justice, security, public health... That's how I ended up as chairman of the cannabis study group! But for the moment, I'm all alone in this group (he smiles).

What will its composition be? And its role?

The secretariat of the National Assembly will send a message to all MNAs, and then I'll welcome the new members. It would be great if there were fifteen of us, from all political persuasions. As for the role, I have no ambition to reinvent hot water, but we will be holding hearings. In fact, I've already been contacted by the « Police against prohibition« . And then, why not draft a bill.

«I'm in favor of controlled legalization».»

Will you be contacting Robin Reda (ex-LR, now Renaissance), chairman of the cannabis information mission in the previous term?

(He writes his name in a notebook, then checks his computer to see if Mr. Reda is still a member of Parliament) Yes, as well as all the MPs who have worked on cannabis. I'll also be talking with my LFI colleagues Eric Coquerel and Ugo Bernalicis, who have tabled several legislative proposals to legalize cannabis.

During the hearings, will you be hearing from representatives of cannabis users, who are often overlooked?

You're right. In our society, when we have debates on television, we invite a lot of «know-it-alls», but we don't leave room for the people, the people who are the first to be affected. This is particularly true at the moment, with pension reform. If you ask a forklift operator, you'll quickly realize that he can't work two years longer.

On the subject of cannabis, I say «yes» to interviewing representatives of users or former users. I'd like to know their age, their background, their relationship with cannabis, whether they're addicted or not. You can't work on a subject if you don't talk to the people who are the first to be affected.

Robin Reda said he was in favor of a «safe legalization» cannabis. L’former rapporteur Caroline Janvier (Renaissance) confided to Newsweed his penchant for a «State-supervised legalization». What about you?

I'm also in favor of state-supervised legalization, with a ban on sales to minors, and consumption authorized only in designated areas. Cannabis cultivation should be local and non-capitalist, organic if possible, with a THC ceiling. I'm also in favor of the right to grow cannabis at home, to prevent large groups from dominating the market. My aim is to protect young people and reduce consumption.

During the last mandate, several bills to legalize cannabis were passed. They all failed. Will you continue to try?

Yes, we need to find a majority, but I don't think it's impossible. In the Assembly today, there are many members in their forties, who are not shocked by the fact that you could have smoked a joint in your youth. That wasn't the case a few years ago. So we can bring together elected representatives from all sides if we explain that we want to fight against trafficking, reduce consumption, and free up time for law enforcement.

«Legalizing medical cannabis in three months would be an excellent signal».»

Cannabis fines don't work. Two out of three fines go unpaid, Some poor départements (Bouches-du-Rhône, Seine-Saint-Denis) are more affected than others. What can be done?

One thing's for sure: it's not the consumer's fault. It's the system's fault. Penalizing consumption won't solve anything, as long as there's always a box of candy in the middle of the table. We need to give these young people something to do. When they smoke, they think of nothing else.

In March 2024, experimentation with therapeutic cannabis will come to an end, three years after it began. Is it time to legalize the medical use of cannabis?

(He writes a few words in his notebook). I'll be following this closely. If there's a vote, LFI will vote for it. It would be an excellent signal, one step closer to potential widespread legalization. As for therapeutic cannabis, we're lagging behind in France. When you look at people suffering from multiple sclerosis, it's better that they have access to cannabis than that they fill up on drugs.

What are your thoughts on the long legal battle over CBD?

I had watched from afar and talked with store owners. But it says a lot about the day when cannabis will be decriminalized or legalized in France. It's going to be a long battle, there's always going to be resistance.

Do you think the democratization of CBD can help the French better understand - and accept - cannabis?

Yes. With CBD, stores are visible in the landscape. Some people will be curious, push open the door, see some cannabis flowers and get some information. They might think that it doesn't take much for a CBD store to become a «cannabistro» (he smiles).