Emmanuel Macron cracks joke after smelling marijuana while meeting youngsters on French Guiana trip

The French President visited the territory in South America six months after a general strike brought it to standstill

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with residents during a visit to the Crique neighborhood in Cayenne as part of a three-day visit to French Guiana (AFP/Getty Images)

Emmanuel Macron cracked some jokes after smelling the fumes of marijuana when meeting a group of youngsters in French Guiana.

The French president, who was posing for a picture when he caught a whiff of the drug, teased the group of young people by saying: ”This is not going to help you with your schoolwork – you see what I mean?”.

Footage of the scene published on Mr Macron’s official Facebook page shows the President playing it cool and telling the youngsters he was still able to smell.

“Some of you are not only smoking cigarettes, huh?,” he said as people were heard laughing in the background while meeting locals in the poor Crique neighbourhood of the capital Cayenne, where drug and violence have been an issue.

“You have to tell the youngest!”, he added.

Mr Macron was on a three-day visit to the French territory in southern America six months after a general strike brought it to a standstill as protesters demanded the government respond to high unemployment and security issues.

Tensions have risen in French Guiana over the last few months following a backlash against poor public infrastructure compared to mainland France.

On the first night of Mr Macron’s visit, violent clashes erupted between young people and the police.

Speaking frankly to protesters, Mr Macron said he would not give in to pressures from people in balaclavas.

He added he had not come to “make grand promises that are hot air” but would end a cycle of unkept promises, explaining he “was not Father Christmas” and that he would not treat people like children.