Copenhagen mayor wants public authorities to distribute cannabis

The Copenhagen authorities are once again trying to legalize cannabis. For the fourth time, the city is submitting several models for controlled legalization to the central government.

Copenhagen mayor Frank Jensen is trying for the fourth time to legalize cannabis in his city. As a life-size test, the mayor is proposing that public authorities sell cannabis to customers. Frank Jensen's aim is to prove that controlled legalization would reduce delinquency and violence.

An unexpected alliance

This initiative is the result of a coalition between the Liberal Alliance and the Red-Green Alliance, socialist and ecologist. Together, they say they want to combat the rising number of shootings between rival gangs.

«Over the past month, we've seen an intensification of clashes between the various gangs that share the black market. These shootings are a direct threat to our citizens,» says Heidi Wang, a city councillor from the party of the same name. Liberal Alliance.

Christiania, the Free City at the center of tensions

Christiania is a district of Copenhagen renowned for its open-air cannabis market. Available over-the-counter at the stalls, cannabis keeps the local economy going and attracts tourists. However, not all is green in this neighborhood. In September, two policemen and a shopkeeper were shot and wounded as the police attempted to arrest a big fish. The assailant succumbed to his injuries a few days later. According to the newspaper The Local, In the Christinia district alone, cannabis represents a market worth 135 million euros a year.

The center-right national government is currently refusing to set up a trial system for recreational cannabis. However, they have authorized a trial on 4 years, In the United States, the government has announced a nationwide ban on the use of medical cannabis by 2018.

In Denmark, recent polls show that 88% of people would support medicinal cannabis, and more than half of the population approves of legalization for recreational purposes.

Théo Caillart