Colorado has just legalized the use of cannabis. This initiative is reviving the debate in France, which combines repressive policies and a record of consumption among young people.
A law passed in the State of Colorado, in the United States, revives the eternal debate on the decriminalization of cannabis. Indeed, since January 1, the recreational consumption of cannabis is authorized in this state of the American West, on condition of being 21 years old. Coffee shops will not be able to sell more than 28 grams of cannabis to each buyer. And the same law will apply next spring in Washington state.
Asked about Europe 1, Manuel Valls, the Minister of the Interior made it clear that decriminalization of cannabis was not on the agenda:
“There is no taboo subject in France. But the position of the government, which is also that of the President of the Republic, is not to lift this ban. A society needs standards, rules, prohibitions. And the consumption of cannabis is not something trivial, ”declared Manuel Valls at the microphone of Europe 1. On this occasion, why actor takes stock of key issues in this controversial debate.
Are there any health risks associated with cannabis use?
Cannabis is not harmless. The medical profession refutes the idea of a soft drug. Cannabis smoke contains carcinogens like tobacco smoke, so it is toxic to the respiratory system. The combination of tobacco and cannabis leads, for example, to lung cancer earlier than tobacco alone. A risk of cardiovascular complications has also been shown for regular consumers. And in some vulnerable people, cannabis can cause or worsen anxiety, promote depression, and reveal or worsen schizophrenia in susceptible people.
But more than these pathologies which remain rare complications, it is the daily consequences of the use of cannabis that are harmful, especially to the youngest users. “At 13-14 years old, the vulnerability to cannabis is much greater than for an adult user, and the risks of having psychiatric problems are increased, but the first problem linked to the consumption of cannabis is attendance. school ”, confided to why actor, in June 2012, Dr Amine Benyamina addictologist at Paul Brousse hospital in Villejuif. Chronic consumption started at the beginning of adolescence “could even lead to an irreversible cognitive decline”, notes the French Observatory of Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT).
Another negative consequence on daily life: drivers under the influence of cannabis are 1.8 times more likely to be responsible for a fatal accident than negative drivers, the risk is multiplied by 14 in the event of associated consumption of alcohol.
Is the use of cannabis leading to an escalation towards the use of other active substances?
According to a survey by the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction carried out ten years ago, nearly 70% of French people believe it. But, so far, epidemiological data have not confirmed this risk of “escalation” to other harder drugs. The consumption of cannabis is mainly associated with that of tobacco and alcohol, substances that are even more dangerous for health, as the French Federation of Addictology (FFA) reminded us in 2013. Tobacco and alcohol cause nearly 100,000 deaths each year, or one in six deaths, while illicit drugs cause a few hundred deaths per year. “Obviously, we should not stop at mortality alone, the social, personal and psychological consequences of cocaine or heroin weigh heavily, regularly emphasizes Professor François Paille, president of the FFA. But this distinction between licit and illicit drugs is totally disconnected from their real dangerousness. “
Is cannabis consumption in France higher than among our European neighbors?
Yes, and especially among young people. 41% of French 17-year-olds have experimented with cannabis and 6.5% use it regularly, according to the MILDT. According to the 2011 European ESPAD survey, which identifies consumption among 16-year-olds, France clearly stands out from other European countries, being the only country with a level well above 15%. According to this survey, usage levels are gradually decreasing from the Atlantic seaboard to the Urals.
What are the effects of consumer legislation?
France is the leading consumer country. A paradoxical position because it is also at the head of the countries where the repression is the hardest. As in Sweden or Finland, the law penalizes the sale but also the consumption of cannabis, without distinguishing it from other drugs. Should we review our legislation? Most recently Uruguay hit the headlines by becoming the first country to allow the consumption, sale and production of hashish, under state supervision.
In France, addictology specialists are not in favor of this example. Nonetheless, a year ago, the French Federation of Addictology called for a large public debate to be opened on “the difficult questions posed not only by cannabis, but by all addictive behaviors which concern the entire population”. And last September on the occasion of the last plan to “fight against drugs and addictive behaviors” 2013-2017 presented by the government, the FFA hammered home the point: “In the absence of strong structural reforms and in a context of mediocre funding, we can fear that once again, this Nth MILDT plan will only be the Nth sword in the water, with no real impact on the increase in problematic consumption and its consequences ”.
Within the European Union, the most liberal country is Portugal: in 2000, it decriminalized the consumption and acquisition of narcotics for personal use. As a result, 10 years later, drug use has decreased according to a comparative analysis carried out by the Cato Institute, an American think tank. The percentage of adults taking drugs in Portugal has become one of the lowest in the European Union: 11.7% cannabis users against 30% in the UK, 1.9% use coke against 8, 3% in the Spanish neighbor.
Are the French in favor of changing the law?
According to the CSA Institute, 55% consider decriminalization negatively, against 19% positively. However, according to the latest ODFT barometer, 60% of French people say they are in favor of an authorization under certain conditions, for example in the event of illness, or with a maintenance of the ban before driving or for minors. The medical use is in fact the only evolution in France. Last June, a decree was published by the Ministry of Health, allowing the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) to authorize the marketing of cannabis-based products, such as Sativex. The first authorization should be signed soon.
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