Robin Reda (LR) in favor of controlled legalization of cannabis

A first for a right-wing lawmaker. In response to a statement by Gérald Darmanin on BMFTV, in which he called the decriminalization or legalization of cannabis «cowardice,» Robin Reda, a Les Républicains lawmaker from Essonne, came out in favor of controlled legalization of cannabis. Acknowledging that decriminalization «amounts to authorizing a black-market product,» he recommends legalization as a way to regain control of the cannabis market in France.

Decriminalization is, in effect, a failure on the part of the state, as it amounts to authorizing a black-market product. Legalization, with the state acting as a regulator, could combat trafficking and recoup the money that is currently slipping through our fingers. There should be no dogmatism on this subject. https://t.co/HvoPX8oa1l

- Robin Reda (@robinreda) September 7, 2020

The right-wing party is generally more closed-minded on this issue. In 2014, a male UMP lawmaker and a female PS lawmaker had thus worked on a report on the assessment of efforts to combat illicit substance use, while acknowledging the failure of current policy. Their conclusions, however, differed. While Anne-Yvonne Le Dain (PS) advocated for state-controlled cannabis sales, Representative Laurent Marcangeli (UMP) favored decriminalization instead.

Conversely, during the fact-finding mission on the decriminalization of cannabis, the LREM lawmaker Eric Poulliat recommended the current fine for cannabis while Robin Reda called for the fine to be removed from the scope of criminal offenses.

Gérald Darmanin was also invited by Caroline Janvier, an LREM member of the National Assembly and rapporteur for the «recreational» component of the current mission of information on cannabis which is taking place at the National Assembly, to review the committee’s work and the expertise of those interviewed. In a recent interview, Caroline Janvier had described the French model as »ineffective and counterproductive.‘.

Production/distribution/consumption of #cannabis relate to public health, safety, and economic issues. This complex debate was opened at the'@AssembleeNat, we are ready to discuss these matters with you and share our work and expertise @GDarmanin https://t.co/pqkqen0Xl5

— Caroline Janvier (@CarolineJanvier) September 7, 2020

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In Europe, all the France's neighboring countries have at a minimum decriminalized and opened up one avenue or another for accessing cannabis. The Portugal has decriminalized all drugs in 2001.