Absinthe I'm afraid is still banned in France (as it is in most European countries) and have yet to find a local with a good source for the stuff.
In a way it's just like Poteen which has been legal in Ireland since 1997.
A fine drink but not like the real drop your grandfather used to drink!
Absinthe is available in some pubs and bars but it's missing the wormwood which led to the mild hallucinogenic effect. So you can buy it but it's not quite the real thing.