France looks to soften laws against cannabis use
A new government report recommends introducing fixed fines to tackle the problem
Monday, January 22, 2018
In France, the most recent figures available show that 17 million people have tried cannabis, 1.4 million people use it regularly - 700 000 on a daily basis - and consumption is on the rise. Yet laws against smoking pot are harsher than anywhere else in Europe: under current legislation, users can face up to a year in prison and a fine of 3,750 euros. A new parliamentary report to be released on Wednesday recommends introducing a fixed fine of 150 to 200 euros instead. It concludes that current legislation is not working. Few of the 140,000 people arrested every year in France for smoking a joint are fined, and even less are given a prison sentence. (See also: France to consider decriminalising all drug use, following government-commissioned report)
