Scent of Cannabis Wafts Into Presidential Race
French Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin stirred controversy by suggesting that occasional smokers of cannabis should be treated with leniency.
Supporters of conservative President Jacques Chirac, his neck-and-neck rival in the April 21 vote, slammed the remarks as irresponsible, while the pro-legalization lobby called for a debate on reform of France’s tough drug laws.
Jospin said legalization would send the wrong signal to the young but insisted that France’s 32-year-old drug laws should be applied “in an intelligent manner” toward users.
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