"Do you think that the current system of repression of the consumption of cannabis makes it possible to limit its extent?
In the event of legalization or decriminalization, would you be in favor of the possibility for individuals to cultivate for personal purposes a number of cannabis plants fixed by law, as is the case in Canada?
These questions have been asked since Wednesday on the very official website of the National Assembly.
The parliamentary information mission on the regulation and use of cannabis, created a year ago, has just launched this citizen consultation on so-called recreational cannabis to inform its proposals expected in the spring.
"Twenty million French people say they have already experimented with cannabis, 200,000 people make a living from the underground economy of cannabis ... There will inevitably be an evolution in France, we cannot remain isolated in Europe", suggests Robin Reda, young deputy of Essonne (LR) who chairs this mission and refuses "to leave this ideological debate to the left".
The subject is increasingly entering the public debate.
Mayors of priority security zones interviewed
A quarter of the deal points in Ile-de-France according to Beauvau.
Including on the television sets, where the Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, expressed himself bluntly: "We are not going to legalize this shit", it would be "an intellectual cowardice.
"But what do the elected representatives of Ile-de-France and Oise think on the front line?
According to the count of the ministry's deal points, revealed by
Le Parisien
on December 20, this geographical area represents in France more than a quarter of the country's deal points, 1,029 out of 3,952.
To take the pulse of elected officials from the Ile-de-France and Oise, we have chosen the cast of the Ministry of the Interior: the mayors of cities on the front line for traffic, those classified in priority safety zones or with a so-called district of "republican reconquest".
Of course we can also buy drugs elsewhere, but since the ministry believes that the priority is there, we called these elected officials.
They are thirty-six in total, from the nine departments concerned, twenty from left-wing parties, seven on the right, and others at the head of the citizen list or not labeled.
To all, the same question: "are you in favor of the legalization of cannabis, against, or you do not speak out?
"
It is clear that the subject is not yet to everyone's taste.
"You piss me off with this subject!"
»Blurted out a mayor.
He had to recall it another eleven times to get his point of view.
In the end, four elected officials did not respond: the mayors of Méru and Chambly in the Oise, Fosses in the Val-d'Oise and the mayor of Saint-Ouen, in Seine-Saint-Denis, a major place of traffic, where a shooting still left several families in mourning this fall.
Strong opinions
Pro right and anti left.
Whether in small or large suburbs, the results are not a cut and paste of the political spectrum.
One can be a socialist (Noisiel) or a communist (Montataire), LREM (Nogent-sur-Oise) against legalization, and favorable by being inscribed with Les Républicains (Mantes-la-Jolie).
If there is no unanimity on the subject, a majority is nevertheless in favor of legalization (50% of the answers expressed), the rest being divided between those who do not express an opinion (28%) _ often regretting a lack of information on the subject _ and those who are totally against (22%).
“This observation is in the image of opinion surveys, estimates Alessandro Stella, director of research at the CNRS and teacher at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales.
The big turning point came from the United States which legalized cannabis, and as the United States often gives the LA, it is felt in France, which remains the most repressive country in Europe ”.
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"To decriminalize is to abdicate", sweeps Manuel Aeschlimann (LR) in Asnières, opposed to legalization.
The "former police officer, father of five children" and LR mayor of Aulnay Bruno Beschizza, fears that legalization will lead to an escalation.
“Prohibition does not prevent trafficking, but if it is legalized, can we do more prevention?
Worries Karine Franclet, mayor (UDI) of Aubervilliers and former principal of college.
Several mayors would like a “meeting” on the subject, such as Patrick Haddad (PS) in Sarcelles or “a consensus conference”, such as Eric Pliez (Paris en Commun, 20th century).
Four elected officials have become favorable
Pragmatic, not lax, according to the phrase of Eric Lejoindre (Paris XVIIIe, PS) like the sixteen favorable mayors.
Leading trio of the arguments put forward: the failure of prohibition, public health prevented and the financial windfall that escapes the state coffers.
“Legalizing is also protecting kids from good families who freak out.
It is a policy for our children in the broad sense ”estimates Mathieu Hanotin (PS, Saint-Denis).
"The repression is counterproductive, as with the prohibition of alcohol in the United States of the 1920s," said Ali Rabeh (Génération. S, Trappes).
Differences exist on the implementation of this legalization: "not before 21 years", asks Bruno Piriou (DVG, Corbeil-Essonnes).
“For a very long time, I was against it, but I walked and I realize that despite the work done, we are faced with a kind of Sisyphus myth” confides Gilles Poux (La Courneuve, PC), fifth term.
Sisyphus was condemned to make a rock roll eternally to the top of a hill, which came down each time.
Same observation for Raphaël Cognet (Mantes-la-Jolie, LR): “My experience as mayor for three years has made me evolve on the issue […] I do not see how, in a police and judicial manner, to stop trafficking, it is to empty the sea with a teaspoon.
"Opinions change, Bertrand Kern, in Pantin (PS), is convinced:" I test the subject during public meetings.
The older ones were viscerally against it, but in ten years, I saw the change of opinion ”.
He hopes that the PS will take up the subject in the next presidential elections.
He is not the only one.
The deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis Eric Coquerel (LFI), who will table a bill in the spring in favor of the legalization of cannabis, would like other parties to rally.