On Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Parc Chanot in Marseille, elected officials, CBD industry professionals, and academics gathered to advocate for the legalization of cannabis.
A panel discussion organized by Normlon the current CBD market in France and abroad took place, featuring professionals from the CBD industry.
Mao Aoust, founder of High Society and co-founder ofthe UPCBD, was present and participated in the conference.
France and Cannabis: Where Do We Stand?
It’s important to note that France is the leading consumer of cannabis in Europe. And yet, we are the country with one of the most prohibitive and severe policies in the European Union.
The goal of the debate was therefore to reignite the discussion on the decriminalization of the sale and use of cannabis and CBD. Indeed, although CBD is completely different from THC, it suffers from the same stigma.
Today, however, scientific studies have shown that CBD is not a drug and does not cause harmful side effects such as psychotropic effects or a risk of addiction.
The WHO has also ruled in favor of authorizing the sale of CBD derived from European sources. France, however, remains on the sidelines of this development and is even moving in the opposite direction, as evidenced by the decree issued on December 31 of last year, which bans the sale of cannabis flowers.
However, the CBD market is still in its infancy and will continue to evolve and grow. So it’s time to make a change.
Is Cannabis Set to Be Legalized Soon?
The purpose of this public debate was therefore to raise awareness and advocate against the prohibition of cannabis and CBD.
During this roundtable discussion, it was announced that a certification label for CBD-based finished products is currently being developed. This offers hope that CBD-based products will be better regulated in the future.
As hemp and CBD industry professionals have pointed out, banningthe production of hemp for the purpose of extracting cannabinoids is like allowing wine producers to grow their vines but forbidding them from making wine.
Furthermore, players in the CBD market are constantly under scrutiny: they face raids, stock seizures, and customs hold-ups…
As Mao Aoust points out, “All players in the CBD market already pay taxes. (…) We’re willing to pay an additional tax if they stop persecuting us.”
The harassment faced by CBD professionals and consumers (who, it should be noted, are not allowed to use CBD outside their homes) is unjustified.
Scientific studies conducted abroad have demonstrated a number of benefits of CBD.
As Mao Aoust further explains: “We see a lot of 18- to 20-year-olds who are trying to quit THC so they can graduate. Sometimes even their mothers come to buy it for them so they’ll stop using THC! We also see grandparents with osteoarthritis and arthritis who turn to CBD as an alternative medicine. There’s no defined “typical customer” for CBD because we see people from all walks of life coming into our stores these days.”
It is therefore clear that CBD is becoming increasingly widespread, and the government will not be able to turn a blind eye to this highly promising wellness compound for much longer. At the same time, perhaps the full legalization of CBD will also shed light on the need to decriminalize cannabis and finally help curb the flow of questionable products from the black market.
Let’s hope that Legalize-it is the first in a long series of debates aimed at opening people’s minds tothe benefits of CBD and cannabis, both in Marseille and throughout the rest of France.
You can find the full debate here.
