Eric Piolle calls for a referendum on decriminalizing cannabis

On January 23, 2025, Éric Piolle, the Green Party mayor of Grenoble, called on French President Emmanuel Macron to hold a national referendum on the decriminalization of cannabis.

Speaking to Franceinfo, Eric Piolle said his frustration with the ineffectiveness of the policies France's current law enforcement measures, highlighting how ineffective they have been in reducing drug trafficking or drug use.

«We're putting more and more people in prison, but drug trafficking remains just as rampant,» he said.

For Piolle, who is no stranger to appeals, the solution lies in legalization regulated by the state. By removing cannabis from the black market, he estimates that «50% of sales will disappear.» He clarified that ’no business, not even a mafia-run one, can survive a 50% reduction in its revenue.«.

He believes that a referendum would elevate the debate and allow the French people to weigh in on a long-standing issue that successive governments have largely ignored or mishandled.

Criticism of Repressive Policies

Eric Piolle’s criticism is directed at the various interior ministers who, in his view, have merely «taken a hard line» without addressing the root causes of drug trafficking. He accused them of settling for high-profile «Place Nette» operations designed for media attention and ineffective.

Instead, Eric Piolle called for systemic change, advocating for an increase in the resources allocated to prosecutors and investigators in order to target the upper echelons of drug networks.

The mayor's criticism is part of the the context of the struggle in Grenoble against drug-related violence. The city has been deeply affected by drug-related gang violence.

«The President of the Republic should take the initiative to hold a referendum on the issue,» he said, noting that this would allow France to “put the issue into perspective” and move beyond repetitive and ineffective strategies.

Cannabis remains the the most commonly used illegal drug in France. According to the French Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT), five million people used cannabis in 2023. This widespread use highlights the limitations of current law enforcement measures. Furthermore, demand for cocaine has skyrocketed, with 1.1 million people reporting that they used it during the same year, underscoring the urgent need for a comprehensive and effective approach to drug policy.

Piolle’s arguments are in line with these approaches, advocating for state-controlled legalization in order to reduce drug trafficking revenues and curb the violence associated with it, as some have begun to do Germany, Malta, Luxembourg, Switzerland or The Netherlands.