Weed in France: Cannabis Legal Status Guide
- 1. Cannabis laws in france
- 1. a. Possession
- 1. b. Sale
- 1. c. Growing
- 2. Is cbd legal in france?
- 3. Is it legal to send cannabis seeds to france?
- 4. Medicinal cannabis in france
- 5. Industrial hemp in france
- 6. Politics
- 7. History
- 8. Good to know
Cannabis Laws in France
If you're planning a trip to France in the coming months, you might ask yourself, “Is weed legal in France?” Unfortunately, while cannabis legality and tolerance continue to increase globally, France remains somewhat slow on the uptake. Despite boasting the highest number of cannabis users per capita across Europe, marijuana in France remains illegal, with the country known for having some of the harshest cannabis laws in Western Europe.
However, while slow, some progress has been made in recent years. In 2020, President Macron's government announced new measures that would replace potential prison sentences with a lump-sum fine. Intended as a bid to reduce the number of court cases for the possession of cannabis, this alteration to the law was seen as a form of decriminalization. However, anyone fined for the possession of cannabis would still have the fine logged in their criminal record. As such, cannabis remains illegal in France, even if the punishments for its possession have been reduced.
Possession
Until recently, both the possession and consumption of cannabis were subject to criminal prosecution under French law. Following President Macron's announcement in late 2020, it was stipulated that any adult found to be in possession of up to 100g of cannabis would now instead be subject to a fine of €200 (€150 if paid within 15 days, €450 if paid after 45 days).
While the recently introduced legislation is designed to discourage cannabis possession and consumption, it is also intended to curb the issue of trafficking. However, as the law is only applicable to adults, this may reinforce the potential role of minors in the trafficking of cannabis.
Sale
As you might expect, the production, import or sale of recreational cannabis that contains THC is illegal, with the country typically taking a particularly draconian approach towards cannabis sellers and distributors. The penalties for trafficking cannabis in France are particularly severe, with those accused facing a potential prison sentence of up to ten years with a maximum fine of anywhere up to €7 million. These fines may also be doubled if the case involves the sale of cannabis to minors or in close proximity to schools.
Growing
Much like the sale of cannabis in France, growing marijuana is strictly prohibited, with severe penalties awaiting those who fall foul of the law. While the country boasts a thriving hemp industry, it remains illegal to cultivate cannabis plants, with offenders facing a fine of up to 7.5 million euros and twenty years in prison. Of course, maximum penalties are usually reserved for those involved in the mass production of cannabis.
Is CBD Legal in France?
The short answer is yes, but it hasn’t always been that simple. Understanding French cannabis laws can be tricky; however, it is vital to recognize that cannabis is used synonymously for both hemp and marijuana, and the distinction between the two variants is necessary to understand the country’s CBD laws.
As we know, the marijuana plant, i.e. the plant that contains THC, is illegal in France and is classified as a narcotic drug. However, CBD products are not considered to be a narcotic and can be used provided certain restrictions have been followed in their production.
Intriguingly, France is the only western nation that has not banned the private or commercial cultivation of hemp, and thus home growers are free to experiment with their own CBD oil production. Indeed, as CBD popularity has exploded both in France and across the globe, so too has the number of those using hemp to produce their own personal supply of CBD oil.
However, as you might expect, there are certain restrictions to the production of CBD oil in France:
- The hemp used must be from one of only a few government-approved strains.
- It is prohibited to use the flowers with only the stems and fibers allowed in the production of CBD oil.
- CBD is only legal to use, possess or sell if it has 0% THC. If the product contains any THC, it can be considered a narcotic drug.
Given all that, it might be safer to avoid the homegrown experiments, and CBD consumers in France should choose products that have been manufactured using CBD isolates in order to avoid falling foul of the 0% THC limit. For clarity, CBD isolates are a much more refined CBD product and go through extra processing to remove any remaining THC and other cannabis compounds.
Is it Legal to Send Cannabis Seeds to France?
Yes - Cannabis seeds can be legally purchased and distributed in France and in much of Europe and can be sent directly via post. Unfortunately, it is illegal to germinate the seeds as cannabis cultivation remains against the law, so any seeds purchased in France should be for novelty purposes only.
Medicinal Cannabis in France
While much of the Western world has legalized the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, it was only in March of 2022 that France finally took their first steps toward legalizing medical cannabis. Earlier this year, The French government issued a decree that now allows for the cultivation of medical cannabis in France and the development of its industry. While the decree was made official on March 1, 2022, regulators still need to fully implement the new law.
Unfortunately, the new legislation has specified the conditions and procedures for the cultivation and production of marijuana for medicinal use only. With these developments, France’s Code of Public Health is expected to be amended to allow for the cultivation, production, manufacture, transport, import, export, and possession of cannabis and its derivatives under strict medical authorization.
The decree comes two years on from the announcement of France’s first medical cannabis trials, which saw a pilot project begin only in March 2021. Under the supervision of The National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), the project involves 3000 patients who suffer from a range of severe medical health concerns, including chronic pain and epilepsy. ANSM will also supervise the creation of the medical cannabis supply chain in the coming months.
Industrial Hemp in France
Despite their stringent and somewhat draconian cannabis regulations, France is, in fact, the largest producer of industrial hemp in Europe and the third-largest producer across the globe. The cultivation of industrial hemp in France dates back nearly 200 years, with the country producing beyond 175,000 hectares of hemp by the year 1850.
While production slowed during the 20th century and while still heavily regulated by both national and EU Laws, the French hemp industry has experienced significant growth in recent years. This increase has, in part, been driven by the increased demand for CBD products in recent years.
This substantial increase in demand has resulted in France now cultivating approximately 40% of Europe’s total hemp production.
Politics
While a typically liberal country, France has shown little appetite for the legalization of cannabis in years gone by. Perhaps surprisingly, despite the lack of tolerance for the plant at a legal and political level, France is actually Europe’s biggest cannabis consumer, according to a report published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).
At the beginning of 2022, a bill supporting the legalization of recreational cannabis was proposed by the left-wing France Unbowed party (LFI). However, it was swiftly rejected by the government just weeks later.
“This bill aims to fight against the illegal trade in cannabis by legalizing it under state control in mainland France and in the overseas territories,”
“This law provides for the sole decriminalization and legalization of cannabis, which represents more than 80 percent of trafficking.” the bill surmised.
Intriguingly, the bill did find support from prominent figures, including ruling LREM party members Caroline Janvier and Jean-Baptiste Moreau. They were among MPs from five parliamentary groups who announced their support for the bill, which would have paved the way to “legalize the production, sale, and consumption of cannabis under state control”. Still, despite that political setback, public opinion on marijuana legality in France does seem to be changing, with recent polls suggesting that a majority are now in favor of marijuana decriminalization.
In June 2021, an Ifop survey showed that 51% of those questioned favored decriminalizing cannabis, the highest such number for over fifty years. Despite changing public perceptions, particularly in Western Europe and amongst liberal ruling classes, President Macron has remained largely invisible when it comes to the discussion of cannabis reform in France. Having specifically ruled out legalizing the recreational use of cannabis during his presidency, the slow pace at which the country continues to wrestle with medicinal legality suggests that full legality remains a pipe dream (forgive the pun) for French cannabis consumers.
History
Despite the continued illegality of the plant in modern-day France, cannabis in France was actually widely available over 200 years ago. The use of marijuana in France actually dates all the way back to Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign of 1798 when, thanks to a lack of alcohol, his troops were said to have turned to cannabis instead!
Having returned from Egypt with both cannabis and hash, French military forces were then said to be responsible for the wider introduction of the plant into parts of French society around 1820. Indeed, throughout much of the 19th century, cannabis use became something of a fashion statement and was favored by the upper and intellectual classes. Famously, some of France’s most popular authors and philosophers, including Victor Hugo, Pierre Gautier, Charles Baudelaire, and Alexandre Dumas, were said to be members of the Club des Hashischins, all revelling in their experiences with the plant.
However, despite its popularity amongst French elites, cannabis consumption amongst the masses did not become commonplace until the 1960s with servicemen, this time stationed in Vietnam, responsible for its increase in popularity, having returned home with some of Asia’s most fragrant herbs and hashish. At this point, much like most of Western society of the era, cannabis became a symbol for the political counterculture movements of the time, and the plant’s popularity would soar both in France and across much of the planet.
However, despite its continued popularity into the 21st century, it seems unlikely that full legalization will be hitting French shores anytime soon.
Good to Know
While it might be some time before we see the country adopt more progressive laws like those currently in place in the Netherlands and soon to be in Germany, the French remain avid consumers of marijuana.
Despite cannabis illegality, the country remains one of the highest consumers of the plant in Europe, with 21.5% of young adults (15-34 years old) said to consume it on a regular basis. 11% of the entire country said to consume in the previous twelve months according to 2020 data.
Cannabis use in Previous Twelve months - 2020 data - Europe
| Czech Republic | 11.1% |
|---|---|
| France | 11% |
| Spain | 10.5% |
| Croatia | 10.2% |
| Italy | 10.1% |
| Netherlands | 10.1% |
| Finland | 8.2% |
| UK | 7.1% |
| Germany | 7.1% |
| Ireland | 7.1% |
While it could hardly be considered a sea-change in public opinion, tolerance for cannabis in France has certainly begun to increase, particularly with the increase in popularity of CBD and its related products. In a country famed for its coffee and smoking culture - there are few experiences more French than enjoying a Café au Lait with a cigarette in hand on a Parisien boulevard - it remains surprising that progression in cannabis laws has been so slow.
Indeed, if you’re looking for a canna-holiday, Paris weed laws suggest you might be better off heading to marijuana-friendly locations like Amsterdam or Barcelona where cannabis and coffee go hand in hand!
