Transcript Perceptions and repercussions ine Europe

New cannabis regulations
implemented in Americas:
Perceptions and repercussions in
Europe
Isabelle Michot
(France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain,
Switzerland)
Information specialist
May 7, 2016
38th Salis/AMHL Conference, Denver, May 4-7, 2016

1 - Information on legislation and cannabis
use in Europe.

2 - Opinions and perceptions on cannabis in
Europe.

3 - What reactions to changes?
Examples: France, UK, Italy, Spain,
Switzerland.
www.ofdt.fr
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Cannabis in EU – Various legislations on use and possession
Heterogeneityity
within EU
www.ofdt.fr
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Cannabis in EU – Various legislations on use and possession
More than half
EU countries
have modified
their penalties
for possession
or personal use
since the
2000’s.
www.ofdt.fr
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Cannabis use in EU – National heterogeneity
Last year prevalence of cannabis use among young adults
(15-34): most recent data
Source: 2015 EMCDDA European Drug Report
www.ofdt.fr
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Cannabis use in EU – National heterogeneity
Last year prevalence of cannabis use among young adults (15-34):
countries with statistically significant trends
Source: 2015 EMCDDA European Drug Report
www.ofdt.fr
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Two forms of cannabis in Europe
© Elena - Fotolia.com
... in a changing market
© Ademoeller - Fotolia.com
www.ofdt.fr
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A relationship between penalties and cannabis use?

Last year prevalence data
for 15- to 34-year-olds.

Zero on the horizontal axis
representing the year of
legal change.
Source: 2011 EMCDDA Annual Report on the State of the Drugs Problem in Europe
www.ofdt.fr
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A relationship between penalties and cannabis use?

Last year prevalence data
for 15- to 34-year-olds.

Zero on the horizontal axis
representing the year of
legal change.

No simple association can
be observed between legal
changes and cannabis use
prevalence.
Source: 2011 EMCDDA Annual Report on the State of the Drugs Problem in Europe
www.ofdt.fr
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
1 - Information on legislation and cannabis
use in Europe.

2 - Opinions and perceptions on cannabis in
Europe.

3 - What reactions to changes?
Examples: France, UK, Italy, Spain,
Switzerland.
www.ofdt.fr
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Opinions - Young people and drugs (15-24 year olds)

Opinions about
cannabis remain
divided.
Source: Flash Eurobarometer 401, TNS Political & Social, Brussels: European Commission, 2014
Coverage: 28 Member States of the EU
Number of interviews: 13,128
Results compared to the 2011 Eurobarometer
www.ofdt.fr
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Opinions - Young people and drugs (15-24 year olds)

Opinions about
cannabis remain
divided.

Less likely to think
that cannabis
should continue to
be banned.
Source: Flash Eurobarometer 401, TNS Political & Social, Brussels: European Commission, 2014
Coverage: 28 Member States of the EU
Number of interviews: 13,128
Results compared to the 2011 Eurobarometer
www.ofdt.fr
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Do you think that cannabis should be banned? (15-24 years old)
Should continue to
be banned or should
be banned
Should be regulated
Should be available
without restrictions
Heterogeneity in
the opinions
across EU
-5
-6
+19
+17
+26 +21
Source: Flash Eurobarometer 401, TNS Political & Social, Brussels: European Commission, 2014
www.ofdt.fr
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
1 - Information on legislation and cannabis
use in Europe.

2 - Opinions and perceptions on cannabis in
Europe.

3 - What reactions to changes?
Examples: France, UK, Italy, Spain,
Switzerland.
www.ofdt.fr
11
FRANCE
www.ofdt.fr
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FRANCE - Opinions on cannabis policies since 1999
(15-75 year-olds)
Don’t agree at all
Fairly disagree
Fairly agree
Completely agree
Could be authorized
under specific
conditions
Cannabis prohibition
is a violation of
individual freedom
Cannabis could be
freely sold like
tobacco or alcohol
Source: EROPP surveys 1999, 2002, 2008, 2013 – OFDT (Tendances No. 88, 2013)
www.ofdt.fr
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FRANCE - Opinions on cannabis policies since 1999
(15-75 year-olds)
Don’t agree at all
Fairly disagree
Fairly agree
Completely agree
Could be authorized
under specific
conditions
Cannabis prohibition
is a violation of
individual freedom
Cannabis could be
freely sold like
tobacco or alcohol
Source: EROPP surveys 1999, 2002, 2008, 2013 – OFDT (Tendances No. 88, 2013)
www.ofdt.fr
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FRANCE - Opinions on cannabis policies since 1999
(15-75 year-olds)
Don’t agree at all
Fairly disagree
Fairly agree
Completely agree
Could be authorized
under specific
conditions
Cannabis prohibition
is a violation of
individual freedom
Cannabis could be
freely sold like
tobacco or alcohol
Divided opinions,
But a majority of
conservative ones,
And some evolutions
Source: EROPP surveys 1999, 2002, 2008, 2013 – OFDT (Tendances No. 88, 2013)
www.ofdt.fr
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FRANCE – Media coverage on legalization is not new
Courrier International
Courrier International
8 October 2009
26 September 2013
“How the Americans have (almost)
legalized it”
www.ofdt.fr
“Soon ON SALE. In 2014, cannabis
production and sale will be legal in
Montevideo, Seattle, Denver...”
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FRANCE – Media coverage, more intensive recently
Cannabis issues
remain a taboo and
opinions are divided.
Les Inrockuptibles, 3 February 2016
“Hollande saved by the weed?
Why legalization is a chance for the
President”
www.ofdt.fr
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FRANCE – Media coverage
Les Inrockuptibles, 3 February 2016
“Gains in terms of public security
would be substantial”
President of the Democrat party
www.ofdt.fr

Debates requested mostly
for economic and security
reasons.
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FRANCE – Media coverage
Les Inrockuptibles, 3 February 2016
“Gains in terms of public security
would be substantial”
President of the Democrat party

Debates requested mostly
for economic and security
reasons.

French Think Tank Terra
Nova: 3 scenarios of
cannabis regulation.
(Ben Lakhdar et al. 2014)
www.ofdt.fr
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FRANCE
Media coverage
Cannalex study (2015-2017):
Colorado and Washington
(USA), Uruguay, Sweden, Spain,
and The Netherlands
Les Inrockuptibles, 3 February 2016
“Uruguay is not motivated by money,
but by the idea to kill the illegal market”
www.ofdt.fr
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FRANCE – Media coverage
Le Figaro, 13 April 2016
Editorial: “Cannabis for all?”
“The Socialist Party wants cannabis to
be a stake for 2017”
www.ofdt.fr
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FRANCE – Media coverage
Courrier International, 14 April 2016
“Drugs: Should we legalize them all?”
Translation of Harper’s Magazine, April 2016
www.ofdt.fr
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UNITED KINGDOM
www.ofdt.fr
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UNITED KINGDOM

October 2015:
e-petition "Make the
production, sale and
use of cannabis legal

> 200,000 signatures
https://www.addiction-ssa.org/
www.ofdt.fr
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UNITED KINGDOM

October 2015:
e-petition "Make the
production, sale and
use of cannabis legal

> 200,000 signatures

Government
response: No
intention to review
the legislation on
cannabis
https://www.addiction-ssa.org/
www.ofdt.fr
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UNITED KINGDOM
Media coverage

British Crime Survey
2014
The Guardian, 5 October 2014
www.ofdt.fr
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UNITED KINGDOM
Media coverage

British Crime Survey
2014

Britons are divided:
27%: drug laws are too liberal
27%: laws are not liberal
enough
46%: laws are just right
33% of 16-24: laws are not
liberal enough
40% of ≥65: laws are too
liberal
The Guardian, 5 October 2014
www.ofdt.fr
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UNITED KINGDOM
Portuguese model
www.ofdt.fr
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UNITED KINGDOM - Media coverage
“The argument for the legalization of
cannabis has been won"
The Economist, 13 February 2016
www.ofdt.fr
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UNITED KINGDOM
Media coverage
The Independent, 12 March 2016
www.ofdt.fr
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ITALY
www.ofdt.fr
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ITALY – Media coverage
La Repubblica, 18 March 2016
“Cannabis legal, Radicals deposited bill”
www.ofdt.fr
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ITALY – Media coverage
La Repubblica, 18 March 2016
“Cannabis legal, Radicals deposited bill”
www.ofdt.fr
Legalizziamo! Prohibition has failed
http://www.legalizziamo.it/
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ITALY – Media coverage
L'Espresso, 7 January 2014
Corriere della Sera, 11 January 2014
“Survey - Cannabis, why we should legalize”
“The debate (fogged) on freedom of cannabis”
www.ofdt.fr
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SPAIN
www.ofdt.fr
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SPAIN – Media coverage
El País, 3 April 2014
“Legalizing cannabis would make its use
commonplace”
“The government delegate for the National Drug
Plan maintains that there is no reason to change
[Spanish] regulation”
www.ofdt.fr
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SWITZERLAND
www.ofdt.fr
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SWITZERLAND
RTS.ch* Discovery
* RTS = Radio-Television Switzerland
www.ofdt.fr
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SWITZERLAND – Media
coverage
24 heures, 2 February 2014
“Revived debate on cannabis legalization”
www.ofdt.fr
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SWITZERLAND – Media
coverage
Écho Magazine, 31 March 2016
“Drugs - Should we legalize?”
www.ofdt.fr
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European current overall situation – Conclusion

Various cannabis legislations but various debates too.

Catalyzing effect, more legalization-oriented.
www.ofdt.fr
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European current overall situation – Conclusion

Various cannabis legislations but various debates too.

Catalyzing effect, more legalization-oriented.

EMCDDA Meeting on “Recent developments in
cannabis policy”, November 2014.

Addictions Conference, Lisbon, October 2015.
www.ofdt.fr
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European current overall situation – Conclusion

Various cannabis legislations but various debates too.

Catalyzing effect, more legalization-oriented.

EMCDDA Meeting on “Recent developments in
cannabis policy”, November 2014.

Addictions Conference, Lisbon, October 2015.

UNGASS (United Nations General Assembly on the
World Drug Problem) conference, 19-21 April 2016
instead of 2019.
www.ofdt.fr
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Thank you
Grazie
Merci
Danke schön
Gracias
www.ofdt.fr
[email protected]
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