Marijuana sent to French MPs

A group advocating the decriminalisation of marijuana said yesterday that it had sent a hand-rolled marijuana cigarette to every French MP, along with letters urging them to ease France's tough drug laws.

"This legislation, the most repressive in Europe, has done nothing to halt the massive spread of drugs, nor has it slowed the appetite of a certain number of our fellow citizens for illegal substances." the Paris- based Collective for Information and Research on Cannabis (CIRC) wrote.

A spokesman said the joints, made from marijuana grown in France, had been mailed on Tuesday afternoon. National Assembly deputies differed sharply in their reactions to the gifts, although none said they intended to smoke them.

- Reuters, Paris