The issue of legalizing cannabis is coming back to the fore in France, a sample of this is the recent survey published by Le Parisien.
They interviewed mayors from all over Paris and were able to verify that 50% are in favor of the decriminalization of marijuana use. Even in quarters with a Republican majority; only 22% are against it and 28% of them indicate that they would need more information. And as they point out in the same article, the general French opinion is in line with the results provided by this study.
The use of cannabis in France dates back to the 18th century, due to the shortage of alcohol, in 1798 Napoleon’s troops introduced cannabis as a substitute. But seeing the effects it caused, they prohibited its use.
During the twentieth century and to this day, the regulation against cannabis has continued to be reinforced by the pens of the legislators of the republic. In 1970 cannabis was officially outlawed, both for trafficking and for personal consumption, without distinction; and today it is one of the European nations with the most rigid regulations on the matter.
However, it is the European country with the highest consumer index. According to another Statista study, between 2015 and 2017, more than 11% of the French population declared having used cannabis in the previous year.
In sum, and once again, the legislative reality confronted with the facts is somewhat contradictory. The restriction, in short, is a reflection of the fact that there is a tendency to be repressed; the act punished is prior to the norm. But the prohibition does not always have the expected effect, rather the opposite … Maybe they should stop fighting the unavoidable.
To be continued. Vive la révolution!
