A little over a month ago, France was in the midst of a tense political election between current President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen. Now, after only weeks in office, French cannabis users are receiving another important victory from the newly elected government.
This past week, Minister of the Interior Gérard Collomb revealed the country’s imminent plan to decriminalize possession of cannabis. The proposed rule shift would replace prosecution and imprisonment with simple fines and citations. While speaking on the French news channel BFMTV, the newly-appointed interior minister reported that, ideally, decriminalization will go into effect as early as September.
In the past, President Macron has indicated that penalties for cannabis possession would lead to a fine of €100 ($111). This is a stark difference from the current law, which is among the harshest in the entire European Union. Currently, possession of cannabis for personal use can result in 10 years in prison or €7.5 million fine ($8.4m).
The proposed move has als received support from the UNSA Police union, which has long advocated for change in cannabis policy. The…