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The situation has deteriorated since the Covid lockdowns of 2020. Social media platforms such as Telegram, Snapchat, and TikTok now play a prominent role in recruiting teens from outside Marseille to take up jobs in the business, with advertisements vaunting sunshine and steady pay. And in a particularly gruesome trend highlighted by the police last year, some groups are even documenting and boasting about deadly violence on social media.
Meanwhile, the press and law enforcement have become fixated on a single conflict between two rival gangs, Yoda and DZ Mafia, which the police prefecture deems responsible for 80% of the drug-related killings in 2023. But Pujol argues that the narrative of an alleged “cartel war” between two juggernauts is misleading: the ill-defined groups are far from dominating the market. And Marseille’s drug trade is hardly sophisticated enough to be termed a “cartel”. “The Mexican cartels are producing drugs,” Pujol says. “We’re not producing drugs here. Here, we’re selling retail in the street. It’s shitty. There’s nothing worse. The people making money are the ones who produce and sell.”
There has, however, been some progress on this front in Paris. In 2021, a commission in the National Assembly called for a state-regulated legalisation of cannabis. And last year, a prominent state body charged with consulting lawmakers — the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE) — called for a “regulated legalisation”. But the political winds continue to blow in the opposite direction. Though Emmanuel Macron called for decriminalisation during his 2017 presidential campaign, he has since abandoned it amid a broader shift to the Right. He now backs a zero-tolerance policy, personified by his hardline interior minister Gérald Darmanin. “It’s a lack of political courage,” Delogu says. “He’s not working for the general interest, but rather trying to appeal to his electorate.”
A major shift in policy appears unlikely today. But if France eventually does follow the rest of Europe in adopting less repressive drug policies, it seems inevitable that Marseille will play a leading role. Teeming with activist groups and various neighbourhood associations, it’s a city known for its autonomous spirit and willingness to defy the capital. Besides, the typical chest-thumping and fear-mongering from drug warriors can only go so far here — in Marseille, residents have actually experienced the terrible scourge of drug violence first-hand. That’s precisely why more and more of them think it’s time to try something new.
unherd.com
Meanwhile, the press and law enforcement have become fixated on a single conflict between two rival gangs, Yoda and DZ Mafia, which the police prefecture deems responsible for 80% of the drug-related killings in 2023. But Pujol argues that the narrative of an alleged “cartel war” between two juggernauts is misleading: the ill-defined groups are far from dominating the market. And Marseille’s drug trade is hardly sophisticated enough to be termed a “cartel”. “The Mexican cartels are producing drugs,” Pujol says. “We’re not producing drugs here. Here, we’re selling retail in the street. It’s shitty. There’s nothing worse. The people making money are the ones who produce and sell.”
There has, however, been some progress on this front in Paris. In 2021, a commission in the National Assembly called for a state-regulated legalisation of cannabis. And last year, a prominent state body charged with consulting lawmakers — the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE) — called for a “regulated legalisation”. But the political winds continue to blow in the opposite direction. Though Emmanuel Macron called for decriminalisation during his 2017 presidential campaign, he has since abandoned it amid a broader shift to the Right. He now backs a zero-tolerance policy, personified by his hardline interior minister Gérald Darmanin. “It’s a lack of political courage,” Delogu says. “He’s not working for the general interest, but rather trying to appeal to his electorate.”
A major shift in policy appears unlikely today. But if France eventually does follow the rest of Europe in adopting less repressive drug policies, it seems inevitable that Marseille will play a leading role. Teeming with activist groups and various neighbourhood associations, it’s a city known for its autonomous spirit and willingness to defy the capital. Besides, the typical chest-thumping and fear-mongering from drug warriors can only go so far here — in Marseille, residents have actually experienced the terrible scourge of drug violence first-hand. That’s precisely why more and more of them think it’s time to try something new.
Inside Marseille's drug wars
unherd.com