Drug policy in Europe has generally been considered to be progressive in nature, with Portugal decriminalizing all substances in 2001 – an attempt at implanting harm reduction techniques in the midst of a drug abuse epidemic – and much of the Netherland’s tourist industry revolving around the legal use of marijuana.

According to a 2014 World Health Organization study, France had the highest number of 15-year-old marijuana users in Europe. In comparison with Portugal and Spain, countries that allow for cannabis clubs and emphasize rehabilitation over incarceration (a continent-wide trend reflected in the small prison populations of most Western European countries), France, a country with no decriminalization measures, had substantially higher rates of drug use.

One of the two current presidential candidates, independent-centrist Emmanuel Macron, has advocated for the issuance of warnings and on-the-spot, 100 euro fines in place of the current policy of an up to one-year prison sentence and an almost 4000 euro fine for small-scale marijuana possession and/or use. Unsurprisingly, Macron’s rival, the far-right Front National candidate Marine Le Pen, has advocated for a “zero-tolerance” drug policy, with an increase in draconian drug laws and harsher crackdowns on drug dealers and users.

Information gathered from independent.co.uk, hightimes.com and thecannabist.co.