Taboo subject: legalizing cannabis

On Monday, March 27, M6 will air the second episode of its show «Dossier Tabou,» with the theme «What if we legalized cannabis in France?» We attended the press screening of the show. Here are our impressions.

M6 has a long way to go when it comes to the topic of cannabis. The channel isn’t very popular among cannabis enthusiasts—and rightly so. Its latest foray into the world of cannabis—a report that will be rebroadcast late Monday night—was complete nonsense, which we had taken apart properly. So it’s an understatement to say that we’re naturally skeptical about how this *Dossier Tabou* will turn out. We should note here that we’ve only seen excerpts from the final documentary, not the entire program. Since the editing isn’t finalized, the documentary’s overall angle may have changed between the press screening and its broadcast next Monday. But to sum up what we saw: intriguing.

The Dossier Tabou team first traveled to Compiègne, in the Oise department, to a public housing project where drug dealers have effectively taken over the area, in order to document the problems caused by drug dealing spots. We’ll also follow BAC officers in the 93 department as they discuss the challenges of combating drug trafficking under current conditions. Some footage will also show young drug dealers explaining their situation. That covers the black market in France, which, on the face of it, describes the situation fairly accurately while highlighting the failures of law enforcement.

On the prevention front, we’ll follow Marc, a reformed drug dealer who served time in prison and now raises awareness among employees at companies about their drug use. The segment serves as a reminder that if an employee has an accident on the job—for example, while operating heavy machinery—the presence of THC in their blood will work against them. This is a useful lesson for some.

The highlight of the show will undoubtedly be when Bernard de la Villardière tries driving on a racetrack after smoking a joint. And I can already hear the outcry. As for us, we found this segment very interesting. First of all, because Bernie doesn’t turn into a zombie after smoking. He clearly debunks the myth of the slumped-over stoner who’s incapable of doing anything. He says he feels good, laughs a little more, and drives a bit slower. And he’s a bit more absent-minded, too. His reflexes are slightly impaired, and (spoiler) he won’t be able to avoid the obstacles on his own that he used to avoid before smoking (his co-pilot will have to take the wheel). Cannabis affects driving, fine.

How people interpret this «viral» clip will likely depend on their own point of view. Anti-cannabis advocates will likely conclude with, «Hmm, you can see that cannabis is dangerous on the road—we absolutely must not legalize it; everyone will smoke and drive while high.» Meanwhile, pro-legalization advocates are calling for an effective way to monitor driving under the influence of cannabis, without penalizing users with THC in blood but who would not be under the influence of cannabis. It’s worth noting here that, in addition to being illegal, driving under the influence of cannabis increases the risk of an accident by a factor of 1.4, whereas alcohol increases it fourfold. This isn’t about pitting the two substances against each other, just about stating the facts. And that driving after smoking is wrong.

Among the clips we weren't able to see, the show is expected to:

• discuss the case of Charlotte Figi and cannabis use in the treatment of epilepsy
• visit a cannabis oil extraction lab in Colorado and explore the implications of legalization
• Join Olivier and Florent, distinguished members of Chanvre & Libertés – NORML France, in Amsterdam as they discuss healthy consumption methods (the most observant viewers will recognize the interior of the Hempstory shop, owned by Sensiseeds, in the clip below;) )
• Addressing cannabis trafficking through OCTRIS by interviewing a police officer

So, it’s a very comprehensive program. For those interested in the topic, the angle of each segment and the conclusion of the report will depend largely on the final edit. And we don’t know what that will be yet. See you on Monday 🙂

Watch the clip from Issue No. 2 of *Dossier Tabou* on the legalization of cannabis in France here