We are now just a few days away from the first round of the presidential election (Sunday, April 10, 2022).
According to a poll conducted by Ifop and the CBD shop High Society*, 57% of you want candidates to take a stand on changes to cannabis legislation.
Here is an overview of all the candidates' positions on the legalization of cannabis.
Emmanuel Macron: Against Legalization
The current president, a candidate for La République en Marche, has already worked to ease penalties related to cannabis.
Since September 2020, consumers and owners have in fact been subject only to a flat fine of €200, compared to €3,750 and up to one year in prison previously.
While Emmanuel Macron has shown some flexibility, he does not intend to legalize cannabis. Although he was in favor of legalization in 2016, that is no longer the case. His goal now is to provide police officers and gendarmes with more resources to combat drug trafficking.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon: In Favor of Legalizing Cannabis
The candidate from La France Insoumise makes no secret of his intention to legalize cannabis. Jean-Luc Mélenchon wants the government to manage the entire cannabis industry, from production to sale. The taxes collected will be used to fund addiction treatment programs, just as they are for alcohol and tobacco.
Yannick Jadot: The government must regulate production and sales
The Green Party's presidential candidate supports legalization, but only within a regulated framework. A license would be required to grow and sell cannabis, as is the case in some U.S. states.
In his view, we should follow the example of European countries that have already legalized cannabis and have seen a decrease in the risk of addiction as well as in health problems related to addiction.
Marine Le Pen: In Favor of Strengthening Law Enforcement
The National Rally candidate has absolutely no intention of legalizing cannabis. On the contrary, her goal is to impose even harsher penalties on users and dealers. She has stated, “Those who think that legalizing cannabis will turn drug dealers into melon farmers in Cavaillon are, at best, naive; at worst, they are cause for concern. We must wage war on drugs.”
Marine Le Pen wants to impose criminal penalties on drug dealers and issue fines to those who use drugs.
The only exception? Medical cannabis.
Éric Zemmour: In Favor of Tougher Penalties Before Any Possible Legalization
The representative of the Reconquête party plans, as a first step, to crack down harder on cannabis. In particular, he wants to impose harsher penalties on drug traffickers by evicting them and their families from their public housing. Then, if these tougher measures are not enough to reduce cannabis use, he will consider legalizing cannabis in an orderly manner.
Philippe Poutou: For the Legalization of Cannabis and the Decriminalization of Drugs
Philippe Poutou, meanwhile, is campaigning for the full legalization of cannabis and the decriminalization of all drugs. The presidential candidate for the New Anti-Capitalist Party spoke out on Twitter but did not provide further details.
Valérie Pécresse: More Penalties for Cannabis-Related Offenses
Without going into too much detail, the Republican Party candidate advocates for stricter criminal penalties and, like Éric Zemmour, supports the eviction of individuals convicted of trafficking in their public housing units.
According to her, if cannabis is legalized, dealers will just start dealing something else—it would just shift the problem elsewhere.
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan: In Favor of Tougher Penalties
As for Debout la France, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan did not go into detail either, but he clearly stated his opposition to legalizing cannabis and his desire to establish a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison for drug traffickers.
According to him, “If you legalize cannabis, drug traffickers will turn to harder drugs, and you’ll be encouraging the use of dangerous substances.”
Anne Hidalgo: Neither for nor against
As a member of the Socialist Party, Anne Hidalgo does not have a firm stance on cannabis. As a result, she is considering organizing a consensus conference to have experts examine all aspects of cannabis legalization.
Fabien Roussel: In Favor of Decriminalizing Cannabis
The Communist Party representative is not in favor of legalization but would be more open to decriminalizing cannabis.
In his view, this is an issue that needs to be debated with the French people, but he remains open to all possibilities.
Yannick Jadot: The government must regulate production and sales
The Green Party's presidential candidate supports legalization, but only within a regulated framework. A license would be required to grow and sell cannabis, as is the case in some U.S. states.
In his view, we should follow the example of European countries that have already legalized cannabis and have seen a decrease in the risk of addiction as well as in health problems related to addiction.
Jean Lassalle: Regulated Legalization and the Revitalization of Our Rural Areas
Like Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the candidate from the Résistons party supports the legalization of cannabis. He wants the taxes collected to be used to fund programs to combat addiction.
An activist and advocate for rural areas, he believes that cannabis can help revitalize certain regions.
Nathalie Arthaud: In Favor of Decriminalizing Cannabis
The representative of the Lutte Ouvrière party supports the decriminalization of cannabis but does not, however, advocate for its full legalization.
Even though many of you would like to see the presidential candidates take a stand on whether or not to legalize cannabis, 67%* of you believe that regardless of whether a candidate takes a position on cannabis, it would not change your voting intentions.
In any case, we'd like to remind you that it's important to go vote ;-)
*You can find the fullIfop x High Society pollhere.
