Repression has failed. Let's keep it anyway.

Edito. Barely 24 hours after the release of parliamentary report on contraventionnalisation, Gérard Collomb, the unofficial sponsor of this masquerade of democracy, has made his decision. on Europe 1 the French contrav’ will almost certainly be a lump-sum fine.

We can't fault the consistency of this decision. The framework of the parliamentary report was the introduction of a fine. Yours faithfully Poulliat, LREM MP installed on this report, had not strayed from the President of the Republic's guideline, the real Ariane's thread in the thinking of the marchers, and proposed the introduction of a fixed fine.

Even the second rapporteur and LR MP, Mr Reda, went further, proposing a 4th or 5th category fine. That's the last straw.

So of course, we didn't imagine cannabistros in 2018 in France. But still. Where has the political courage gone? The courage to carry out ambitious reforms? To tackle social issues? To be in step with the times? To listen to health emergencies? The need for regulation? To protect young French people?

None of these points are covered by contraventionalization, whatever form it takes. If we had to choose between the two, we would have supported Mr Reda's proposal, the lesser of the two, which definitively abolishes prison sentences. In particular, this would have meant that sick people would no longer have to go to the closet for taking care of themselves. And even though these fines would not solve any of the problems caused by cannabis prohibition, we could have seen this as a small step forward for society.

Full reverse

There's no other word for it: Mr Collomb is defending a real step backwards. Today, the majority of arrests are settled by a reminder to obey the law. Tomorrow, it will be a lump-sum tax on consumers, with a prison sentence attached.

Yet the report found that repression was not working. Mr Collomb says: let's keep it anyway!

Our Minister of the Interior is thereby legitimizing the black market as the official supplier of cannabis in France. French consumers are fortunate: the quality of weed is increasing, imports are doing well and French know-how is developing. Today, we see quality hash circulating, beautiful, well-crafted weed, and American strains starting to arrive (not necessarily the best stuff, but these tastes...). How can you blame them for filling a void left by France?

The most ambitious go abroad to develop their talents, while the others go into hiding. Some fall from time to time, with tweets on law enforcement social networks. Others struggle day by day to look after themselves and delay their demise as long as possible.

Whatever the outcome of this bad joke, if Mr Collomb is followed, there will still be 5 million consumers a year and no regulation.

As for us, we'll continue to cover reforms in other countries that have seized the opportunity to build a different kind of city.