ABSTRACT
Despite the long-standing political salience of the problem, coordinated strategies and substantial investment, France remains one of the top countries for drug use and dependence, with the highest levels of cannabis use in Europe, especially among young people. Although a minority of cannabis users use intensively, the number of problematic users seems to be on the rise. Legislation drawn up by the French parliament in 1970 criminalised drug use as well as the glorification of drugs. While drug possession was not a crime until then, the law passed on 31 December 1970 explicitly outlawed all forms of use and appeared extremely stringent in relation to the 'death merchants'. Starting in the late 1970s, the government launched two commissions to investigate the effectiveness of the approach toward illicit drugs. The results of these commissions emphasised the need for a better integrated and comprehensive approach to drugs.
