In a break from the European trend towards decriminalization, France is planning to toughen penalties for marijuana use in an attempt to curb its steadily rising popularity. Proponents of the hardline approach claim that millions of people are regularly defying existing laws as more marijuana plantations are discovered, particularly in the south of the country. According to a report in The Guardian, up to three million French people smoke marijuana on any given day. France's hardline interior minister, Nicholas Sarkozy, has been consulting cabinet members and government officials on raising the maximum penalties for marijuana use from the present level of a year in prison or a steep fine. The interior ministry's anti-drugs chief, Michel Bouchet, has also been asked to investigate the cultivation of marijuana after police reported that more than 40,000 plants were pulled out in raids last year, compared to 1,500 10 years ago. But the pro-cannabis Collectif d'information et de recherche cannibiques, Circ, claimed that there was not a village south of the Loire valley without a plantation. In addition, hundreds of thousands of plants were grown indoors.

Drugs squad detectives admit to being overwhelmed. "The great problem is not police raids but theft," a grower from the Var said. "You'll find small fields hidden in pine forests. Once they have been located, they have to be guarded night and day. A good crop earns enough to keep you all year round, even though it is sold only to friends." So far, no action has been taken against shops selling specialized grow equipment, of which there are about 50 in France. But a decision will have to be taken soon on whether to stop the annual summer festival at Montjean-sur-Loire where marijuana, described as "the symbol of the Loire valley", is easily available. "It's only a matter of time before pot overtakes tobacco," a festival organizer said. "There are already nearly half as many pot smokers as tobacco smokers. Some of our visitors say that cannabis saved their life." France is one of the few Western European countries that maintains harsh penalties for marijuana use. The hardline approach does not necessarily deter use. Lifetime use of marijuana is higher in France than in the Netherlands, where marijuana and hashish can be purchased in regulated "coffee shops" without fear of criminal sanctions. Despite comparatively harsh penalties, lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the U.S. than any European country.

The results of a comparative study of European and U.S. rates of drug use can be found at:
http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/