Luxembourg, pioneering cannabis legalisation in Europe
Luxembourg is on its way to becoming a pioneer country in Europe in terms of cannabis legislation. Its coalition government had already announced its intention to carry out major reforms including, among other things, the legalisation of cannabis for recreational purposes, but also a raft of other important changes for society, such as free public transport, an increase of €100 on the minimum monthly wage, and also 2 more days of leave per year.
To this end, on October 22, 2021, the ministers of Internal Security, Justice, Health, National Education, Children & Youth and Foreign & European Affairs held a joint press conference to present the coordinated package of proposed measures to address the problem of drug-related crime.
As stated by CNN World in its article, these reforms are put in place by the government in order to combat crime linked to drug trafficking and the illicit drug market. As government sources told The Guardian: “A state-regulated production and distribution system is planned to ensure product quality, with sales revenues to be invested primarily in prevention, education and health care in the wider field of drug addiction”.
"When the country works well, the people should benefit" - Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Luxembourg
What are Luxembourg's planned changes?
To summarise the parts that interest us most here on this blog, in other words, the cultivation and consumption of cannabis, this is an inter-ministerial project that proposes to legalise the home-growing of cannabis for over-18s by authorising the cultivation of 4 plants per household, its consumption of course, but also specifies that there will be no limit on the level of THC in the finished product. Cultivation will be possible, both growing indoors under lamps as well as outdoors, whether on a balcony, a terrace or directly in the garden, as long as it occurs in the usual place of residence.
Another important aspect of this law to take into account is the regulation dealing with cannabis seeds: seed sales are allowed without any limitation in the amount of THC or tetrahydrocannabinol and will be able to be purchased in physical shops or in online stores (also allowing them to be imported). In addition, legislators envisage the creation of a seed production chain at a national level. In the words of Justice Minister Sam Tanson himself: "We thought we had to act, we have a drug problem and cannabis is the most widely used drug and it is a large part of the illegal market. We want to start by allowing people to grow it at home. The idea is that a consumer is not in an illegal situation if they consume cannabis and that we do not support the entire illegal chain from production to transport and sale, where there is a lot of misery. We want to do everything possible to get further and further away from the illegal black market".
Possession of cannabis has also been decriminalised, although it appears that it will not be possible to transport large quantities of cannabis, we can still hope that a limit will be set to be able to transport small quantities safely, a limit that will almost certainly be set at 3 grams per person. It should also be noted that under the new legislation, consuming in public remains prohibited, as well as the sale of cannabis products or derivatives other than seeds. Of course, the penalties for driving under the influence of cannabis will also remain in place.
"The war on cannabis has failed" - Luxembourg Green Party
The Luxembourg state also anticipates the creation of a regulatory body for the production and distribution of cannabis, while guaranteeing its quality. The intention in this first step is to create a legal framework so that the consumer can move away from the black market, something that - we are sure - the other European consumers see as a dream come true. It seems that, at last, a government has admitted the futility of prohibition and has taken measures to protect and support its citizens who use cannabis. Good for them!
What can we expect at the European level?
It is clear that France and the other neighbouring countries that border Luxembourg risk feeling the effects of these legislative changes. With the legalisation of recreational use in Luxembourg, it is very likely that other countries that have progressive attitudes to the subject such as Switzerland, Germany or the Netherlands will continue to go further in legalising and decriminalising cannabis. What's more, Malta has announced that it will follow the same path as Luxembourg and plans to legalise the cultivation, consumption and possession of cannabis, in addition to establishing cannabis clubs to handle distribution.
Although these changes may seem insignificant to our French or Spanish readers, it is clear that reforms of this kind can have some impact on all European countries. We hope that this courageous act of the Luxembourg government will cause a domino effect that is powerful enough to change the laws of our own countries so that we all can quietly cultivate and enjoy our home-produced cannabis in peace!
Happy growing!
