French Prime Minister Jean Castex appeared on gaming platform Twitch where he spoke about cannabis. Yet, despite the "progressive" nature of subject matter and platform, the views he expressed remained conservative, stating he believes that the legalization of recreational cannabis is a "false good idea." His position does not have unanimous support amongst French elected officials, however.
Sunday on Twitch, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said that the legalization of “recreational” cannabis in France being called for by some French politicians, including members of the LREM party) was a “false good idea.”
“Personally, I am not in favor of it. I have seen too much as a mayor the great amount of damage that it causes. So, again, health first. There you go, so I think it’s a false good idea,” he said during an hour and a half interview on journalist Samuel Etienne’s channel on the video game fan platform.
Asked by a listener why there is a different treatment for alcohol and tobacco, he replied: “I still think that there are differences between the two that justify this unequal treatment.”
For alcohol and tobacco, there are “regular messages of warning on their use” such as “the abuse of alcohol harms the health,” “tobacco kills” on the packs of cigarettes, he argued.
For him, we can not say “I have the right to drive at 180 km/h because I saw someone who passed me at 200,” he continued.
According to a citizen consultation launched in mid-January by a parliamentary information mission, a large majority of the 250,000 or so people who took part were in favor of legalizing recreational cannabis, whose use is still prohibited in France.
In a statement in early March, the rapporteur of the “recreational” part of the parliamentary mission, LREM MP Caroline Janvier, said, “We now know that the legalization of cannabis is no longer a taboo in France and that our fellow citizens are aware of the ineffectiveness of the current legislation in this area.” Her statement was supported by other elected officials of the presidential majority.
The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, who has made the fight against drug trafficking a priority, had said in September he was opposed to the legalization of “this shit.” Further, he stated that the legalization of cannabis equated to “intellectual cowardice.”
The “recreational” cannabis is one of the components on which the parliamentary mission has focused, after the therapeutic cannabis and the cannabis known as “well-being” (cannabidiol, or CBD).
Authorized in 2019 by the National Assembly but postponed by the health crisis of Covid-19, the experimentation of therapeutic cannabis for at least 3,000 patients suffering from serious diseases was to begin in March.
____
(Featured image by Alexandre Lallemand via Unsplash)
DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Hemp.im, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.
This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.
First published in OBS a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.
Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Hemp.im assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Hemp.im is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us.
Ontario is investing $31 million over the next three years to enhance efforts against illegal…
Frankfurt and Hanover are launching five-year pilot projects for legal, regulated cannabis sales to adults,…
Italy's Regional Administrative Court suspended the Health Ministry's decree labeling CBD as a narcotic, pending…
This November, five U.S. states will vote on measures related to legalizing recreational or medical…
The European Commission has launched an investigation into Italy after its recent proposal to ban…
A new study has found that prolonged use of high-THC cannabis leaves a unique mark…