Luxembourg is the first EU country to legalize the cultivation and consumption of cannabis

The European country of Luxembourg (also known as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), which borders Belgium, Germany and France, has around 62,000 inhabitants. As one of the 27 countries in the European Union (EU), it could officially be the first in the EU to legalize cannabis cultivation.

The Luxembourg government announced on October 22nd that it would change its cannabis laws to legalize its cultivation and personal consumption. Justice Secretary Sam Tanson said the changes are included in a defense measure (which includes a total of 27 drug-related measures) that targets drug-related crime in the country.

“We thought we had to act, we have a problem with drugs and cannabis is the most widely used drug and a big part of the illegal market,” Tamson said at a press conference. “We want to start with people being able to grow it at home. The idea is that when a user is using cannabis, they are not in an illegal situation and that we do not support the entire illegal chain from production to transportation to sale, where there is a lot of misery involved. We want to do everything we can to escape the illegal black market more and more. “

Adults over the age of 18 are allowed to grow up to four of their own cannabis plants at home. The location of these plants would be permitted in every apartment, both indoors and outdoors, as well as on balconies, terraces and gardens. According to The Guardian, it would also be legal to obtain cannabis seeds. Cannabis seeds would eventually be sold in stores or bought online. Luxembourg officials also changed the punishment of possession.

Consuming or possessing cannabis under three grams is now an administrative offense instead of a criminal offense. Before these new changes, a fine ranged from € 251 to € 2,500. “Nothing changes from three grams, you are considered a dealer,” said Tanson at the press conference. “Nothing will change for drivers either: There is still zero tolerance.”

The rationale behind the Luxembourg officials’ decision to accept cannabis is to curb the growth of illegal black market sales. However, this is only the beginning of the country’s journey towards legalization. Tanson described the October 22nd announcement as “a first step in our recreational cannabis legalization project.” An official launch date has not been announced as this legislation is not yet set in stone. Next it has to pass through the Chamber of Deputies. According to a translated text of the Luxembourg word, a Luxembourg local newspaper, Tanson expects “further action by the end of the term in office, in 2023”.

One of Luxembourg’s three political parties, the Greens, issued a press release expressing its approval of the cannabis legislation. “The war on cannabis failed. The announcements by Justice Minister Sam Tanson represent a fundamental reorientation of Luxembourg’s drug policy, ”said the press release. “The use of cannabis is finally being regulated and a legal alternative to the black market is being created. This paves the way for comprehensive regulation of cultivation and distribution. We expressly welcome that the government will continue to press ahead with the coalition agreement project. “

Luxembourg has already campaigned for the legalization of cannabis in the past, having announced in August 2019 that it would be the first EU country to legalize the production and consumption of cannabis. Former Luxembourg health minister Etienne Schneider quoted the failure of the ban and called on other EU countries to relax their own drug laws on cannabis. Some reports said that Luxembourg is using the Canadian approach to legalization. Schneider and other officials toured a Canopy Growth Corporation facility in Smith Falls, Canada in 2018.

Previously, Luxembourg legalized medical cannabis in 2017, with the program launched in 2018. The country could soon see other countries like Uruguay, which legalized recreational cannabis in 2013, and Canada, which legalized it in 2018, as well as numerous states in the US