Coffee shops. In the viewfinder of the authorities – France

Several indictments, closed shops … The coffee shops selling a derivative of cannabis, which have multiplied in France in favor of legal uncertainty, are now in the viewfinder authorities.

In Paris, four store managers selling products based on cannabidiol (CBD) in the XI ^e XVI ^e and XVIII ^e boroughs were indicted it was reported on Friday, for "transport, possession, offer or transfer, acquisition or use of drugs", as well as for "provocation to the use of narcotics". At the end of June, three managers of establishments, located in II ^e and XI ^e arrondissements, had already been indicted, their premises closed and placed under seal.

"Trafficked as a drug dealer"

The phenomenon is not just about the capital. Last Wednesday, barely 48 hours after opening in a student and popular district of the center of Bordeaux, a coffee shop lowered the curtain. His manager has also been indicted for violation of the drug law. His lawyer, M ^e Julien Plouton, lamented that his client was "treated as a drug dealer, as if he had imported 400 kg of drugs from Spain", while "he thought he was in the nails. According to the council, this establishment, which sold in particular creams, should reopen in a few days, the time to make "a sorting in the products". Finished, the grace period? If, these last weeks, this type of shops has blossomed in certain cities, the authorities seem to have decided to tighten the screw. While the government announced in January the end of the automatic penalization of cannabis consumption, prioritizing fines ranging from 150 to 200 euros, the French coffee shops enjoy a legal uncertainty that allows the CBD, since the content of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), a component of cannabis with a psychotropic effect, does not exceed 0,2%. According to the public prosecutor's office, this authorization stems from a decree of 22 August 1990 which however allows the sale of CBD only in the form of "fibers or seeds".

Towards a clarification of the rules

Creams, herbal teas, cookies … These shops all offer a variety of derivative products. However, a note published on June 11 by the Mildeca (Interministerial Mission against drugs and addictive behavior) recalls that if cannabidiol (or hemp) is not illegal, THC is a narcotic prohibited. In mid-June, the Minister of Health, Agnès Buzyn, warned that its services would clarify the "gray area of ​​the law", by conducting a joint work with the direction of the repression of frauds (DGCCRF), which depends on Bercy. When asked "will they be closed in a few months," she replied, "I think they will have closed."

One in two French for a limited legalization

With 700,000 daily cannabis smokers according to official figures, France is one of the largest users of cannabis in Europe: 22% of 15-34 year olds smoked at least one "joint" in 2016, according to the most recent study on the subject. According to a survey, 51% of French people are in favor of a limited legalization, following a tendency to relax bans in the world. The Canadian Parliament has recently approved the legalization of cannabis, making it the first G7 country to allow full cannabis use and production.