Les Jeunes Avec Macron in favor of legalizing cannabis

In an article published in the JDD this Sunday, Jeunes Avec Macron (JAM), the youth wing of La République en Marche (LREM), calls for the legalization of cannabis in France.

«A failure on both the health and security fronts»

Contrary to the government’s stance, the JAM describes the prohibition of cannabis as a failure «in terms of both public health and public safety.» To develop its analysis, the movement consulted with various experts, including doctors, addiction specialists, and politicians.

The result is a set of proposals that will be distributed to lawmakers from all parties starting next week. Broadly speaking, their proposed regulations would allow police forces to refocus their efforts on «crimes against property and persons» and tackle the black market head-on «by depriving it of a substantial portion of its revenue and eliminating drug dealing spots.».

The Cannabis would, of course, remain off-limits to minors, who would be educated about the risks through prevention campaigns every year from seventh grade through twelfth grade.

A shared assessment but a different solution

The JAMs tell us they share «the views of the President of the Republic and the Minister of the Interior. Substance use among minors is a real public health issue; they are more susceptible to addiction, and the long-term effects are more severe for them. We also note that drug trafficking is ruining the lives of residents in entire neighborhoods.»

While there is broad agreement on the facts, the proposed solutions differ from the «crux of the matter,» an expression highlighted by the Minister of the Interior.

«Despite 50 years of crackdowns, despite the time and effort invested by judges and police officers, all these problems continue to grow. We therefore believe it is time to turn the page on this policy,» the JAM explain. «Legalization is a pragmatic option. It will allow us to steer consumers toward regulated products, steer them away from the black market that fuels criminal networks, and fund major prevention campaigns, particularly for young people, who would be barred from accessing legal products.»

In particular, the JAM hopes that party leaders will take up their policy booklet to convince local elected officials.