French minister wants cannabis legalized

By Susannah Herbert, The Daily Telegraph

PARIS French Environment Minister Dominque Voynet expressed support
yesterday for the legalization of cannabis, a drug she admitted having smoked.

"Speaking as a doctor and as a politician, I am still in favour of
legalization," Ms. Voynet said. "The occasional consumption of cannabis
has no impact on health and social bonds.

"I am more worried by the number of French people who need sleeping pills
than by the number of people who admit smoking a joint," she told the
magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Ms. Voynet, 38, the leader of France's Green party, which favours
controlled legalization of drugs, was asked by the magazine if she had ever
smoked cannabis. "Yes," she said. "Do you still smoke it?" she was then
asked. Her distinctly unmisterial answer "Merde!" has amused the
Greens, who take it to mean yes.

But it has placed the hardline interior minister, JeanPierre Chevenement,
in a difficult position. His ministry has insisted there would be no
softening of France's harsh antidrug laws, stressing that the issue did
fall under the competence of Ms. Voynet, a former anesthetist.

"Drug use is punishable with up to a year in prison, and the penalty for
encouraging drug use is five years in prison," said a spokesman, who
refused to say whether Ms. Voynet might face prosecution for her words.