Terra Nova recommends legalizing cannabis along the lines of online gambling

Terra Nova, a think-tank close to the Socialist Party, had already recommended a Legalization of cannabis in France in 2014, On Tuesday, the French government published a report proposing the creation of a Cannabis Regulatory Authority (Arca), similar to the one that regulates online gambling (Arjel).

The situation has not changed since 2014. France is still first European country to use cannabis despite its highly repressive policy towards consumers - the most repressive in Europe, in fact. 700,000 people aged 15 to 75 smoke cannabis every day, an increase of 17% on 2010. 1.4 million smoke at least 10 joints a month, and 4.6 million French people have used cannabis in the past year, according to the latest figures from the Institut national de prévention et d'éducation pour la santé.

Terra Nova therefore proposes to build on what has happened in the field of online gaming, by creating a regulatory authority that would control the production and consumption of cannabis, while laying down general rules.

The initial situation was similar. Before Arjel was created, online gamblers were indulging their passion on illegal sites, which was not without its dangers in terms of addiction. France legalized online gambling in 2010, under pressure from the European Commission, by creating the Arjel, one of whose missions is «to implement means of preventing and reducing the risks of pathological gambling». Since its creation, the results have been positive. The number of excessive gamblers has remained stable, although there has been a slight increase in the total number of gamblers. The majority of consumers have switched to legal gambling, and the risky practices of legal gambling generate fewer problems than illegal gambling.

The parallel is obvious. The main difference between online gaming and cannabis is that «one creates an addiction without a product, while the other is a product in its own right. The consumption of one, without risk reduction tools, is clearly carcinogenic, while the other is not. In Terra Nova's view, the legalization of cannabis should therefore be accompanied by the application of anti-smoking measures (prohibition for minors, health warnings, neutral packaging, etc.).

Terra Nova recommends legalization of cannabis in France under the control of the Arca, which would regulate the cannabis trade in France. According to the report, production could take place via licensed French farmers or by importing cannabis from abroad. Self-cultivation could also be authorized. The sale of cannabis would take place in shops registered with the Arca, such as tobacconists, pharmacies and cannabistros set up for the purpose.

The Arca would not, however, collect tax revenues from the cannabis industry, which would instead be channeled into the Social Security system. In its 2014 report, Terra Nova estimated that legalization could bring in €2 billion a year for the state.

Terra Nova proposes an interesting and workable system, with French experience in the field of online gaming. Admittedly, the model doesn't come with a turnkey solution, and some points need fine-tuning (the place of medical cannabis, limiting THC levels, etc.), but it does at least throw a spanner in the works of the French status quo with realistic and objective proposals, based above all on the current cannabis situation in France.