Marijuana Discord on the French Left
Just days before the first round of French parliamentary elections, the Socialists and their probable junior partner in a new governing coalition, the Greens, were at odds over marijuana policy. While the spat is unlikely to undo the electoral pact between the two parties, it has pushed pot into the election campaign.
[image:1 align:right caption:true]Newly-elected Socialist President Francoise Hollande appointed Green Party head Cecile Duflot Minister of Housing -- one of two Greens in the interim cabinet. This week, Duflot unleashed the controversy by saying she backed marijuana legalization.
That left Hollande's team with the task of reiterating the Socialists' opposition to such a move. During a Wednesday night television interview Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault tried to put the matter to bed. When asked if Hollande supported legalization, Ayrault said that Hollande had opposed it during the campaign.
"The answer is very clear, and it's no," he told TF1.
If, as expected, the left wins the parliamentary election, Duflot would have to quit as head of the Greens and leave her legalization position behind in order to stay in the cabinet. She will do that, Ayrault said.
"Madame Duflot will do as she promised. From June 23, she will be a minister only, serving solely her mission as a member of the government," he said.
But even if Duflot backs away from legalization, there is little sign the rest of the Greens will.
Daniel Cohn-Bendit, known as "Danny the Red" for his role in the 1968 Paris student uprising, a Green Party veteran, said Thursday he hoped the party would press for a legalization bill in the National Assembly.
"It's time to ditch the hypocrisy and double-speak," he told RMC radio. "Today's repression simply plays into the hands of drug traffickers."
Polls this week show the Socialists poised on the verge of winning a parliamentary victory outright, but they will probably need the support of smaller parties on the left, most notably the Greens, but also the Left Front to achieve any sort of parliamentary comfort zone. The Assembly has 577 seats, while polls show the Socialists could take as many as 291, leaving them a razor-thin majority. Support from the Greens and the Left Front could add another 20 or so seats to what would then be a governing coalition led by the Socialists.
Comments
France is 20 years behind
France is 20 years behind United States concerning legalization. (We don't event have medical marijuana.)
Medias and politics just do no want to open the debate, Drug is bad, so it must be forbidden : that's the current state of the situation, no chance to argue, or have scientific and societal arguments, that's too much noise for french people around that previous statement 'Drug is bad, so it must be forbidden'.
And left government is too shy, too hung up to follow a realistic and pragmatic approach. They probably know they should, but they won't, they rather keep the right side approach, I mean the status quo, with one of the most repressive prohibition politics in Europe. That doesn't work, but who cares? 'Drug is bad, so it must be forbidden'.
France is 20 years behind
France is 20 years behind United States concerning legalization. (We don't event have medical marijuana.)
Medias and politics just do no want to open the debate, Drug is bad, so it must be forbidden : that's the current state of the situation, no chance to argue, or have scientific and societal arguments, that's too much noise for french people around that previous statement 'Drug is bad, so it must be forbidden'.
And left government is too shy, too hung up to follow a realistic and pragmatic approach. They probably know they should, but they won't, they rather keep the right side approach, I mean the status quo, with one of the most repressive prohibition politics in Europe. That doesn't work, but who cares? 'Drug is bad, so it must be forbidden'.
France and drug prohibition
As I've stated elsewhere here, France maintains their retrograde drug policy because it aids in the control of the Arab population, which they want to keep down and out of political power. French courts are full of indigent Arabs and Africans busted for dealing or possession of hash.
In reply to France and drug prohibition by Silver J (not verified)
well, that's clearly
well, that's clearly overdone. I wouldn't say arab populations, rather poor populations.
An argument that is raising since a few months, not yet easily delivered by politicians - for good reasons, not sure that's the best argument for keeping prohibition -, is that prohibition keeps some kind of peace in difficult french suburbs.Legalizing would remove a big underground economy for those populations. They fear that it would be a risky situation.
In reply to well, that's clearly by Mojonymous (not verified)
The major reason behind prohibition in France
"well, that's clearly overdone. I wouldn't say Arab populations, rather poor populations."
Not in the slightest bit overdone. Arab populations in France tend to be poor populations, and dealing hash is sometimes the only way to make money. I maintain my original remark and with force: cannabis prohibition in France is geared towards the racist exclusion of Arabs and Africans from the political process and it is effective.
European Union
The EU is a balloon that is in the process of popping . The $euro$ as well . This will change the tune of Cannabis prohibition in Europe . The same is true for the U.S.A. Can`t see the forest for the tree`s ? Take a closer look .
We have the same problem in Denmark
Demark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark) is also 20 years behind United States concerning legalization. We don't event have medical marijuana, even it is proven by the United States National Cancer Institute, a component of the US National Institutes of Health in 2011: - Cannabis and Cannabinoids - cancer.gov. that Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years; Cannabinoids may have benefits in the treatment of cancer-related side effects (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page1)
Medias and politics just do no want to open the debate, Drug is bad, so it must be forbidden: that's the current state of the situation, no chance to argue, or have scientific and societal arguments, that's too much noise for Danish and French people around that previous statement 'Drug is bad, so it must be forbidden', even the U.S. Government in 2003 as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services filed for, and was awarded a patent on cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants. U.S. Patent 6630507
And the left governments in Denmark and France is too shy, too hung up to follow a realistic and pragmatic approach. They probably know they should, but they won't, they rather keep the right side approach, I mean the status quo, with one of the most repressive prohibition politics in Europe. That doesn't work, but who cares? 'Drug is bad, so it must be forbidden'.
What if Cannabis Cured Cancer (Serbian subtitle)
Could the chemicals found in marijuana prevent and even heal several deadly cancers? Could the tumor regulating properties of cannabinoids someday replace the debilitating drugs, chemotherapy, and radiation that harms as often as it heals? Discover the truth about this ancient medicine as world renowned scientists in the field of cannabinoid research explain and illustrate their truly mind-blowing discoveries. QUOTES: "What If Cannabis Cured Cancer summarizes the remarkable research findings of recent years about the cancer-protective effects of novel compounds in marijuana. Most medical doctors are not aware of this information and its implications for prevention and treatment. If we need more evidence that our current policy on cannabis is counterproductive and foolish, here it is." -Andrew Weil, M.D. "A hugely important film" - Julie Holland, M.D. NYU School of Medicine Written by Anonymous
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