Despite a repressive policy, France holds the European record for the number of cannabis consumers (6 million declared). In contrast, Canada became, under the leadership of its Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the second country, after Uruguay, to legalize cannabis on October 17, 2018, and Germany legalized recreational cannabis in 2023 .
Should we crack down? Legalize? Filmmaker Mathieu Kassovitz investigated. He, who claims the right to doubt and does not hide a certain distrust of the media, convinced his friend, the director Antoine Robin, to follow him for a year, to Canada, to Morocco (largest producer in the world) , in Spain, the Netherlands and Thailand. Without ideological or editorial constraints, they bring back a dense and intelligent documentary, with an unprecedented and euphoric freedom of tone – available on the Web in series.
“Thursday, May 11, 2023, the weather is nice in Ottawa. » In front of the camera and on commentary, Mathieu Kassovitz highlights the one-hour interview obtained with the Canadian Prime Minister and broadcast at the end of the film (in a long version in episode 8).
Morocco, Netherlands, Canada…
In the meantime, the film is structured by country, starting with France, where “the number of deal points is estimated at 4,000,” says lawyer Steeve Ruben. “Twice the number of McDonald’s,” adds Eric Henry, National Police Alliance delegate, who came to detail the government’s “Clean Square” policy.
Still in France, Mathieu Kassovitz accompanies a dealer, a “delivery man” to a “four” (distribution place) in the distant Parisian suburbs. The filmmaker knows how to put his interlocutors at ease. At the Montpellier University Hospital, Professor Hélène Donnadieu, addictologist, receives two young patients, including Romain, who came with his mother. “Why didn’t you tell your parents before it became a real problem? », questions Mathieu Kassovitz.
The world tour begins with a very personal stop in Morocco. “We have a meeting with Abdellatif Adebibe, “the king of kif”, and Mohammed,” says the actor-investigator in front of the camera. The film continues through the port of Algeciras and Spain.
The visit to Amsterdam proves more destabilizing. In the former capital of “smoking”, journalists are murdered, gangs compete for the cocaine market, coffee shops have the right to sell cannabis, but not to buy it…
To understand, Mathieu Kassovitz meets, in particular, Arjan Roskam, multi-owner of coffee shops, who became rich and famous (photographed with George Clooney) by selling “tailor-made” marijuana – episode 6 is recommended. But Mathieu Kassovitz never looks so happy as when visiting plantation rooms, charlotte on his head. In Canada, his eyes widen in the immense and ultra-modern factory which produces 1,200 tonnes of cannabis per year. Which is a lot of money.
Money is rightly mentioned by Renaissance MP Caroline Janvier (episode 2). She underlines the “failure of the French model of prohibition” and its cost of 1 billion euros per year, when decriminalizing cannabis and controlling its market “could bring in [the State] 3 billion”. An audible argument in these times of record deficit.
