GénérationLibre advocates a «free market» for cannabis in its new report

In a report published today, the Génération Libre think-tank rolls out its idea of a cannabis regulation, a model similar to that of Colorado, USA. «Cannabis production is free. A regulatory and licensing system is in place. [Distribution is freely assured by all licensees. It can be carried out in all types of outlets. Various products may be offered for sale, subject to a specific tax.»

To convince, Kevin Brookes and Édouard Hesse, the authors of report, The figures are twofold. First, France spends 568 million euros each year to combat cannabis, a figure taken from a report by Terra Nova and taken up by the Conseil d'analyse économique (CAE), which advises the Prime Minister and has also called for cannabis to be legalized in June 2019. Then cannabis legalization would bring in - according to their calculation - «between 240 and 360 millions of euros » per year to the State in taxes.

Génération Libre opts for a strong liberalism in its recommendations. Its founder, economist Gaspard Koenig, worked in the office of Christine Lagarde, Finance Minister under the Sarkozy quinquennium. After a spell at the European institutions in Brussels, he founded Génération Libre. Objective: «to propose concrete public policies to decision-makers».». With his reports, he puts forward ideas that place individual freedom as a cardinal value. Anyone can choose the end of their life, anyone can sell their personal data, or abolish minimum social benefits and create a universal income for all. And this liberalism also applies to cannabis.

«Efficient production by the private sector»

Not for the first time GénérationLibre takes up the issue of legalization in France. In this new report, the authors call for «efficient production by the private sector» and in particular by farmers - still private - the only ones «We are confident that we will be able to »produce quality cannabis in sufficient quantities to meet the enormous needs of France's 3.9 million cannabis consumers (including 1.2 million regular users)".

To provide a framework for production, the authors imagined «This is why we have adopted »sanitary and phytosanitary standards in the same way as those for other agricultural products". And before cannabis can be bought in stores, it will have to pass tests conducted by private laboratories. GénérationLibre therefore calls on the government to «not to strangle producers with costly and abusive regulations that would form a strong barrier to entry for small producers.»

The aim: businesses selling cannabis need to be attractive in order to move as many consumers as possible from the illegal to the legal market. «In Uruguay and Quebec, legalization has not dried up the black market or put an end to crime. associate, note the authors. The cause: too high a price in Quebec and, in both cases, severe constraints on the market that have undermined the attractiveness of the legal offer.»

To maintain attractiveness, GénérationLibre favors a reduced 15% tax on cannabis, in addition to VAT. According to the authors, this would make it possible to take into account «the negative health effects it may have and the associated costs».» without discouraging legal purchases. A model also tried and tested by CAE in its report.