Gilbert-Luc Devinaz: «Legalization is the least bad solution».»

The Socialist senator will soon introduce, along with his parliamentary group, a bill to legalize cannabis in France. This latest attempt is unlikely to succeed, but it keeps the debate alive. Newsweed met with him at the Senate.

Newsweed: In 2015, a bill to legalize [cannabis] failed in the Senate. In the National Assembly, other bills were also rejected in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022. Do you think it will pass this time?

Gilbert-Luc Devinaz: No. But we only lose the battles we don't fight. (he laughs).

But then, why take a chance if you don't believe in it?

I think debate is always enriching. In Parliament, we’re here to debate. That’s the strength of a democratic society. It’s true that introducing a bill that doesn’t pass is frustrating. But there’s also something gratifying about having been able to debate it. It’s better than silence.

Have you already drafted your bill? Will you be meeting with organizations that specialize in cannabis to hear their proposals?

No, it's still being drafted. It's expected to be submitted by the end of 2022. We've already after hearing from former Representative Michèle Victory, economist Christian Ben Lakhdar, and Hugo Bessenay, the representative of NORML France. And we would like to hear from judges, law enforcement officials, doctors… The door is still open.

There are several models for legalizing cannabis among the countries that have taken the plunge. Which one should France follow?

There are several important issues to address. The first is age. Should 18-year-olds be allowed to legally purchase cannabis? Doctors, for their part, recommend avoiding its use before the age of 25. Between the ages of 18 and 25, we need to find a happy medium. We shouldn’t set the age limit too high, or we risk fueling a parallel black market. Next is price. It, too, must not be too high, like cigarettes. We also need to determine where cannabis could be purchased. We favor a specific location, such as CBD shops. And finally, we must determine the role of the government.

On that note, are you in favor of a government monopoly, such as in Quebec, for example ?

(He shrugs.) France did a great job with tobacco! I’m not in favor of free-market cannabis sales, because the goal is to reduce the number of users, not increase it. We might not ask the government to become a cannabis grower itself… but we can imagine a model where it delegates the task to farmers while strictly controlling the quality of the product.

Luxembourg has just legalized the personal cultivation of cannabis, and the German government plans to introduce a bill to legalize its sale by the end of the year. In France, the government has stepped up enforcement with a fine of 200 euros. Why is there this discrepancy?

France is conservative. Historically, cannabis has had a bad reputation here. First of all, because it’s a drug that comes from the colonies (Morocco, the world's leading producer of cannabis, was a French protectorate for 40 years). Second, because cannabis is associated with the May 1968 protests and the hippie movement, and all of that frightened the authorities at the time. Furthermore, opponents of legalization believe that allowing cannabis is tantamount to allowing people to get high. Finally, there are many drug dealers who have no interest in legalization.

In your opinion, is Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin a hindrance?

He thinks that prohibition reduces cannabis use, but that’s not the case. According to him, we need to increase the number of law enforcement officers and overload the courts. But that’s not how it works. And he’s also thinking ahead to 2027, hoping to win over right-wing voters with a security-focused platform.