Cannabis Sans Frontières

Le 19 avril 2021, l’organisation européenne ENCOD co-organisait avec des députés au Parlement européen une conférence (en ligne) intitulée "Rouler vers le futur : une règlementation européen de l’usage récréatif du Cannabis".

A l’issue de cette conférence, les députés se sont eengagés à promouvoir les recommandations soumises par l’ENCOD (lire ci-dessous en anglais) pour une harmonisation des politiques européennes dans l’optique de règlementer le marché du Cannabis en Europe.

The conference looks into the different kinds of policies currently in place across Europe and focuses on policy options that respect the rights of people who consume cannabis, whilst pursuing and promoting health and harm reduction strategies. Regulation should be viewed as a continuous process whereby revisions and corrections are not interpreted as failures, but rather as interesting crossroads and paths that pave the way towards a human- and health-centred policy.

https://encod.org/recommendations-cannabis-in-the-european-union/

00:00​ Introduction by MEP Cyrus Engerer

Slight overview of the current situation in some EU coountries

03:35​ Video message from Portugal

06:37​ Video message from Malta

09:16​ Video message from The Netherlands

13:56​ Video message from Spain

20:30​ Video message from Belgium

25:27​ Panel 1 : The sustainability of current cannabis policies and practices

27:53​ prof. Dr. Marco Rossi

31:53​ prof. Dr. Justus Haucap

38:22​ Péter Sárosi

45:18​ Tom Blickman

52:04​ Dr. Constanza Sanchez

1:02:40​ MEP Alviina Alametsä

1:10:20​ Panel 2 : Essential policy principles for the recreational cannabis law

1:11:04​ MEP Mikulas Peksa

1:13:15​ Dr. Mireia Ventura

1:23:05​ prof. Dr. Mafalda Pardal

1:41:37​ Dr. Maja Kohek and Gabriele Kozar

1:53:13​ Dr. Fabian Pitter Steinmetz

2:12:21​ Closing remarks by MEP Cyrus Engerer

Recommendations for the Members of the European Parliament and the EU Member States

Considering the core European values of defending and upholding human dignity, freedom, and equality for all European citizens, included in the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights [3], particularly Article 7 ; respect for private and family life, Article 8 ; protection of personal data, Article 12 ; freedom of Assembly of Association, and Article 21 ; Non-discrimination ;

Noting the UN International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy [4] placing human dignity and sustainable development at the centre of Member State responses to illicit drug economies ;

Noting the aims and priorities of the EU Agenda on Drugs (2021-2025) particularly enhanced security measures to disrupt criminal organizations, the use of alternatives to coercive methods, and broader inclusion of harm reduction tools to educate citizens and mitigate harm originating from substance use ;

Recognising the potential risks associated with driving and operating heavy machinery under the influence of psychoactive substances and the need to ensure road-side testing reflects clinically determined impairment levels [5] ;

Considering the high prevalence of cannabis consumption in the EU standing at 27.2% of life-time consumers and 1% of daily consumers ;

Considering the large proportion of cannabis law offences amount to 75% of all drug related offences and the shocking reality that the majority of reported seizures involve small quantities confiscated for personal consumption ;

Considering the current inconsistency between member state’s approach to a non-violent personal choice to consume, cultivate and share cannabis, and the various legislative changes and ongoing discussions at national level to decriminalise the personal consumption and cultivation of cannabis ;

 Calls on the European Parliament to recognise the unjust and dangerous reality of criminalising a personal and private matter of consuming, cultivating, and sharing cannabis, including its derivatives and products ;

 Calls on the European Parliament to honour the rights and freedoms enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights for people who consume cannabis and promote an inclusive and regulatory framework built on human dignity, respect for private life, and social justice ;

 Urges the European Parliament to take a strong stance in favour of human rights, public health, and harm reduction for all people, including people who use cannabis, and promote effective approaches to disrupt the criminal drugs market ;

 Invites the European Parliament to recognise the health and social benefits of allowing self-cultivation and encourages the Member States to discuss the amount of plants allowed to grow per person for personal use ;

 Invites the European Parliament to recognise the health and social benefits of Cannabis Social Clubs (CSC) and encourages the Member States to facilitate the creation of CSC [6] ;

 Urges the European Parliament to encourage the Member States to introduce the expungement of criminal records for non-violent and non-harming cannabis convictions and ensure any administrative sanctions adopted in the case of a breach of rights are proportionate and do not impinge on the fundamental rights of European Union citizens ;

 Encourages a more active and inclusive approach with civil society organisations directly working with people who consume cannabis, including cannabis growers’ cooperatives and experts in the field of cannabis, and promote a European-wide campaign on safe, organic, and sustainable personal cultivation practices.