I wouldn’t advise anyone to smoke cannabis. We sell it like any other item, just like a furniture shop sells tables or chairs.”
The first two “coffee shops” selling legal cannabis have opened in Paris. Following the softening of restrictions on the sale of cannabis containing less than 0.2% THC. The opening has attracted a large number of customers eager to purchase.
Joaquim Lousquy, 29, the owner of ‘Cofyshop’ in the hip 11th arrondissement, said: “There’s no psychotropic effect. It isn’t a medicine or a relaxant. I wouldn’t advise anyone to smoke cannabis. We sell it like any other item, just like a furniture shop sells tables or chairs.”
The product, imported from Switzerland, is labelled ‘Do not smoke’ but the message had clearly failed to get through to some customers.
Waiting customers said “I want to find out if the stuff they’re selling gets you stoned. In theory, it has less than 0.2 per cent THC, but I’ve heard it contains more CBD [cannabidiol, a legal cannabinoid] and that should have an effect, at least to make you feel relaxed.”
The French Health Authority has ruled that “no therapeutic benefit may be claimed by the makers or vendors or any product containing CBD.”
Maxine, 35, an advertising copywriter, said she was buying cannabis for her aunt. “She has arthritis and this a natural therapy that she can try to alleviate the pain, but yes, I’ll try it myself too, of course, more out of curiosity than anything else.”
Mr Lousquy said that when he heard that restrictions on cannabis were being eased, “I recognised a good deal, so I started thinking about opening a shop.”
While the authorities are reported to be closely watching the shops local residents are not happy with proceedings and state that the smell is in the street and entering their flats.
Source – Telegraph
Image – CHRISTOPHE BERTOLIN/IP3
