Mayors who want to legalize cannabis in their cities

What if, tomorrow, my city legalized cannabis? That’s more or less the thought that crossed Clément Rossignol-Puech’s mind. When the Green Party mayor of Bègles learned that the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council recommends that the government legalize cannabis, ... Without a moment's hesitation, the Gironde representative grabbed a computer and wrote a letter to President Emmanuel Macron.

«Mr. President, writes the mayor of this town of 30,000 residents, located right next to Bordeaux, »Today, I am sharing with you my proposal to make Bègles a national pilot program for the cultivation, sale, and consumption of recreational cannabis."

«When I pressed the ‘send’ button, I felt that I had done my duty, "The Green Party councilmember told Newsweed," he said. »It was the first time I had spoken out publicly on the legalization of cannabis, even though it's a topic I've been familiar with for a long time."

«Local elected officials are taking action»

In his view, by proposing his town as a pilot project for legalization, he wants to show that «Local elected officials are taking action.». The Gironde elected official envisions Bègles «A place where cannabis could be sold in limited quantities—which would, of course, be reserved for residents of Bègles—a state-regulated facility operating in conjunction with pharmacies.».

If the mayor has come to this proposal, it is because he feels he is facing a «bottomless pit», of «to empty the ocean with a teaspoon», a phrase often used by local elected officials. «In Bègles, there is a real problem with public peace and order due to cannabis trafficking. There are several drug-dealing spots near the tram stops. In the Terre-Neuve neighborhood, drug trafficking dates back to the 1960s, even though there have been several urban renewal projects since then.»

Clément Rossignol-Puech is not the first mayor to take a stand. Since 2014, the mayor of Grenoble, Eric Piolle, has been telling anyone who will listen— including in Newsweed – that cannabis should be legalized. The Green Party representative from this city of 150,000 residents insists that mayors are «pragmatic» in the face of «Darmanin, Valls, and Sarkozy make bold claims, repeating that they're going to eradicate drugs, even though nothing changes.».

«Cannamaires» Meet with Olivier Véran

You might think that mayors calling for the legalization of cannabis in their towns are all on the left—dreamers and idealists. But you’d be wrong! In September 2020, between two lockdowns, three right-wing mayors, sign an op-ed in the Sunday Newspaper. Local officials from Reims, Châteauroux, and Charleville-Mézières—all members of Les Républicains (LR)—point out «failure» against the ban. They are calling for the plant to be legalized in France.

A few days after that op-ed, these «cannamaires»—as the newspapers quickly began calling them—went even further. They gave interviews to the regional press and asked to test the legalization of cannabis in their town.

«We can't go from a purely repressive model to legalization overnight.", ", explains Gil Avérous, the mayor of Châteauroux, in a phone interview. ‘In my opinion, we should start by holding a major conference—something like a ’Cannabis Summit»—where everyone can share their data. And right after that, we should allow regions that volunteer to experiment with legalization. Then we'll see how it goes after a year or two."

He, who also heads the Villes de France association, says «ready to put together a proposal with the local agricultural sector», if the government allows certain regions to test legalization. But it will not make a «rebellion» Nevertheless.

The media buzz surrounding these three mayors will pay off. They will be hosted by Olivier Véran for breakfast at the Ministry of Health.

Cannabis Included in the «Specific Plan for Creuse»

In the Creuse department, local officials have been are calling on the government to establish a special status to the department so he could grow «green gold.» And his haul includes quite the trophy.

Socialist Eric Corréia, head of the Greater Guéret metropolitan area, succeeded in having the word «cannabis» included in the Special Plan for the Creuse, a document from the government, which must help this vulnerable department get back on its feet.

Page 12, «The government commits to examine the procedures for implementing implementation of the final conclusions of the Scientific Committee »on medical cannabis in France". Eric Corréia translates for Newsweed all that bureaucratic jargon: «After trials of medical cannabis, », the government may allow farmers in the Creuse department to grow cannabis for the production of medicines."

To that end, the elected official (strongly) insisted that the word «cannabis» be clearly stated in black and white in the document. No small feat. Especially when he saw that the prefect of Creuse had «took the proposal with a grain of salt.». So he wrote directly to the President of the Republic, to make sure he didn't forget about the Creuse's «green gold.» And he succeeded.

In Switzerland, 300 Basel residents are allowed to use drugs

French local elected officials can take a cue from their Swiss neighbors. In the city of Basel, 370 volunteer residents will have unrestricted access to cannabis, provided they are under medical supervision. This model could very well pave the way for legalization across the country. Other cities, such as Geneva and Zurich, have already expressed interest.

If France wants to adopt this local model, it will take a small revolution. «Drug policy is a national matter, so local elected officials cannot deviate from this rule.", notes Renaud Colson, an associate professor of public law. »In fact, local pilot programs in Switzerland have the central government's approval." 

«If we want to do this in France, the government should draft a bill to define the parameters of the pilot program: who it applies to, in which area, and so on. But it’s entirely possible—we did it successfully with the cannabis fine, which was implemented in only a few cities before being rolled out nationwide. »

According to Representative Robin Reda, it will be a long time before a bill of this kind reaches the National Assembly. « It's political fiction, smiled the former chair of the fact-finding mission on cannabis. »But sometimes, the best works of fiction can lead to very real results!"