The People of Paris Want Cannabis

Cannabis has been illegal in France since the 1970s, and it is punishable by one year in prison and a fine of 3,750 Euro. The French citizens are tired of this situation and have decided to walk down the streets of their beloved city to protest against the current law. “What do we want? Legalization,” said the crowd a few days ago: the message couldn’t be much clearer. Senator Esther Benbassa, who sponsored the bill that was shot down in April (the bill was proposing the creation of a structure based on state-controlled sale and use of cannabis), said: “There is still the idea that the cannabis smoker is on the wrong track. He smokes every day, it’s an addiction,” and that’s really the problem. When smoking pot is a moral issue, everything else gets suddenly forgotten: health benefits, tax revenue, and all the other advantages cannabis can create.

There is nothing like fear and over-simplification if you want to destroy the possibility of progress. Whatever is new and revolutionary is by definition problematic and difficult. Even if marijuana has been used for centuries, and nowadays cannabis seeds can even be purchased online, legal marijuana remains something new and revolutionary for our generation. It is quite normal that people are afraid of it, and that’s why asking questions and spreading knowledge are two incredibly effective practices to promote change. At the same time, and the United States are just an example, many nations around the globe have been changing their perspectives and medical cannabis is now legal in more than a couple of places. Why is it so difficult for France and other European countries to move forward? Is it a matter of catholic morality, according to which if you smoke pot you will end up in hell? Is it because of the complexity of the bureaucratic webs of the old European states, which always seem to be too slow to embrace change?

The answer is not clear. Certainly, the demonization of cannabis will have to cease sooner or later, because now more than ever doctors all over the world are publishing articles that demonstrate how good marijuana can be for patients who suffer from cancer, chronic pain, nausea, and much ore. Plus, the European states need the money that a legal marijuana market could bring straight to their pockets. It is time to wake up and consider the facts, because marijuana doesn’t kill, and wine does. Should France banish wine because it could be bad for you if you misuse it, even if it’s very healthy? Why cannabis should be treated differently?