France: Cannabis users in Reims, Rennes and Créteil to be fined in early 2020

Edito. The re-penalization of cannabis is underway. While in January 2018, Eric Poulliat, an LREM deputy who co-chaired the work on the flat-rate fine for drug users, sold this solution as «effective and efficient», it must be acknowledged that he had slightly deceived. The public prosecutor Philippe Astruc indeed announced Tuesday morning that the fine would first be tested in three cities starting in early 2020: Reims, Rennes, and Créteil.

And if it were still possible for some to hide behind their little finger, the intentions of the fine are now very clear.

«The fight against drugs has so far focused mainly on supply» indicated According to 20 Minutes, Philippe Astruc stated, «This tool will now make it possible to tackle demand in order to hold users accountable and make them face their responsibilities. Because it is the customers who make these mafia-like businesses thrive.».

Tackle the request

The strategy is therefore to tackle demand, which, let's recall, has 1 million daily consumers of cannabis and 5 million annually, despite 50 years of prohibition and new repressive laws every 9 months.

So, redirecting police resources towards traffickers, as Eric Poulliat explained on France 2. in March 2018, if the passage «to the next level» to fight against trafficking Christophe Castaner in Marseille less than a month ago, all hope for a public health policy regarding simple drug use, reminders of the law and other incremental repressive solutions, and the little prevention that existed, disappeared with the imposition of fines.

And if the reduced fine of €150 is not enough, the public prosecutor plans to record the offense in the criminal record, which can block access to public service exams, banking, security, justice, and medical professions, to running for political office, or for naturalization/legalization.

Do not question the offer

If Philippe Astruc is right to say that «it is the customers who make these mafia-like businesses thrive,» we would gladly retort that the said consumers do not have a choice between a legal and an illegal offering.

When these consumers take responsibility and decide to supply themselves with cannabis, the potential penalty is even heavier: 20 years in prison and a €7,500,000 fine. And the incessant sweeping of searches and seizures of personal crops From September onwards, it does not allow for imagining a certain tolerance on the part of the authorities.

The burden of responsibility should therefore logically be reversed. But leaving the reform of cannabis laws to Eric Poulliat, Could anything else have been expected?