AnewparliamentaryreportinFrancehasrecommendeddecriminalisingalldruguse.TheFrenchgovernmentisconsideringactingontherecommendation,buthasn’tannounceditsdecisioneitherway.
TwomembersFrance’sNationalAssembly,EricPoulliatAMfromthegoverningcentristpartyEnMarcheandRobinRedaAMfromthecentre-rightRepublicansparty,werecommissionedbytheNationalAssemblyLawsCommissionwingthegovernmenttoinvestigatethecountry’sdruglawsandfindmethodstolessenthestrainonitspenalsystem.
Despiteworkingonthereporttogether,thetwopoliticiansreacheddifferentconclusionsonhowbesttoaddresstheissue,andprovidedthegovernmentwithtwooptions.
Poulliatrecommendedafixedfinebetween150to200Eurosshouldbeimposeduponpeoplefoundinpossessionillegaldrugs,andthatcriminalprosecutionshouldfollowiftheydonotpaythisfineinanspecifiedtimeperiod.
Redaproposedthatdrugpossessionshouldbedecriminalised,sothatpeoplecannotbecriminallyprosecutedforthefence.Herecommendedafineshouldstillbeimposed,whichwouldincreaseifleftinarrears,butthiswouldneverescalatetobeingacriminalfence.
Currently,Frenchlawstatesillicitdrugpossessioncanbepunishedbyupto10yearsinprisonandamaximumfine€7.5million.Itisraretoseethesemaximumpunishmentscarriedout,andfencesareusuallytreatedwithsmallerfinesorcautions.
However,Frenchficersaregivensignificantpersonaldiscretion,andhavebeenandotherdiscriminatorybehaviour.Eachthenewrecommendationsallowssimilarlevelspersonaldiscretion,solooktobeineffectiveintacklingthisissue.TheyaremoregearedtowardsreducingcongestioninFrance’scriminaljusticesystemthanalletingtheharminstitutionaldiscrimination.
BenaminJeanroy,theco-founderandheaddrugpolicyatFrench“actiontank”reformgroup,toldthatPoulliat’srecommendationparticularlyriskscontinuing“thediscriminationinthecriminaljusticesystem,becausethesamepeoplewillcontinuetobearrestedandharassedbecausedrugconsumptionandpossession–particularlyyouthfromimpoverishedneighbourhoods.Poulliat’sproposal]willinitiatearenewaltensionsbetweenthesepopulationsandthepoliceforces”.
Headdedthattoeffectivelytackletheissuedrugs,ficialsmust“searchforalldistributionchannels:fromthesmallstreetdealertotheheadthenetwork”andbringthemtojustice.
PresidentEmmanuelMacronhaspreviouslybackedcannabisdecriminalisationpriortohiselectionwin,buthisstanceonwiderdrugpolicyisnotclear.
TheParliamentaryreviewwhichmaybringeitherthereports’recommondationsintolawisscheduledtotakeplacethisSpring.
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PatrickHintonisMixmag'sDigitalStaffWriter,followhimon
