France Consider Decriminalising All Drug Use!
A new parliamentary report has recommended several options for modernising France’s penal process, including the decriminalisation of all drug use, but the government has yet to decide on the matter.
Last year we could read in the news and a Steemit blog post i made that France will introduce a law that will end prison terms for cannabis use. But consuming cannabis will still remain a criminal offence.
I for one am very pleased with this progression, even though it is not legalisation. In in the article posted in Talkingdrugs.com:
-AM Poulliat proposed that someone found possessing drugs must face a fixed fine of between 150 and 200 EUR (£132 – £176). If a person does not pay the fine within an allotted time, they will face criminal prosecution. This approach would also leave it to the individual police officer's discretion to decide whether to criminally prosecute someone.
-AM Reda proposed that personal drug use and possession should be legally downgraded to a non-criminal offence (“la contravention”), thereby ending the possibility of prosecution. Someone found in possession of drugs would face a fine, and the amount they would be required to pay may increase upon subsequent possession offences, but criminalisation would never be an outcome; in other words, the decriminalisation of personal drug use and possession.
"While many news outlets are describing the report as focusing solely on cannabis decriminalisation, the legislative changes proposed would in fact affect all currently illegal drugs..."
Continue reading the full article: HERE.
Wow, this would be a really big deal if it happened. Thanks for posting. I hear all about legalisation-related things happening in the US, but not much about Europe. If France went this way, surely the most of the EU couldn't be far behind.