An independent member of French Polynesia's assembly is leading a push for marijuana to be decriminalised.
The drug is making headlines in France following the release of a parliamentary report recommending its controlled legalisation.
Sabrina Birk says alcohol has been proven to be far more damaging to health and society and she can't see why the same regulations cannot be applied to cannabis.
"In one hand they let alcohol be sold and it is completely destructive in our country and on the other hand they have made marijuana illegal and the only reason of this that I have been able to find is for economic reasons is that alcohol you can tax more easier than marijuana."
Sabrina Birk says French Polynesia's school dropout rate is 75 percent and many of those young people become addicted to alcohol.
