Fine

Starting this Tuesday in France, cannabis smokers and users of other narcotics will be liable to a lump-sum fine in a bid to curb drug purchases and trafficking. While some are hoping for a relaxation of repression, others fear that the measure will favor drug dealers. Our Libération colleagues interviewed cannabis users to find out how the new fine would change their habits.

The measure was announced at the end of July by the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, on a visit to Nice following violence in the Moulins district, a hotbed of drug trafficking in the city. It comes into force this Tuesday. From now on, cannabis smokers and users of other narcotics will be liable to a fixed fine of 200 euros. If the fine is paid within a fortnight, it will be reduced to 150 euros. After 45 days, the fine will be increased to 450 euros.

Our colleagues from Libération took to the streets of Paris to talk to cannabis users about the subject. Excerpt:

Rémy, 34, Paris

“My friends and I were quite intrigued by this fine project. We talked about it a lot over the summer. Basically, I thought it was cool to move towards a fine rather than staying in this legal limbo. I saw a lot of posts on blogs specializing in cannabis culture expressing their opposition. But after looking into it for a while, what comes out is not very positive. “In truth, the state is not seeking to legislate. It’s just another case of sweeping the subject under the carpet and punishing. Over 1% of French people smoke weed or pot on a daily basis. You can’t solve a social and public health problem by issuing fines. The government wanted to make the fight against drugs more realistic with this fine, but we can see that it’s totally absurd, just in terms of quantities. Up to 100 grams of cannabis to benefit from the fine! In the end, it’s the dealers who will be able to get out more easily. Without getting too conspiratorial, it’s much easier for consumers in the nicer neighborhoods to pay 200 euros. This measure is also a very good way of controlling the population. In certain working-class neighborhoods, where people can’t necessarily smoke at home, the police will be able to enjoy themselves and put plums in all directions.”

Read the full article on the Libération website