Luxembourg Cannabis Legalization Law to Take Effect on Friday

Luxembourg will legalize cannabis for adults this Friday, becoming the second EU country to do so. The groundbreaking law allows adults to possess up to three grams in public and cultivate four plants at home. The move represents a shift in drug policy in Europe and sets an example for other countries considering similar changes. Germany is also moving towards legalization with a proposed law.

On Friday, a new law legalizing the possession and cultivation of cannabis by adults will come into effect in Luxembourg, announced the government. The legalization of cannabis in Luxembourg is a groundbreaking step, demonstrating progress in drug policy in Europe.

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Luxembourg Ministry of Justice Issues Statement

The Ministry of Justice in Luxembourg issued a statement regarding the upcoming policy change in the Official Journal last Tuesday. This procedural step means that the regulations will take effect within four days.

This comes about a month after the Luxembourg Parliament passed the legalization law, making it the second country in the European Union to end ineffective cannabis bans after Malta legalized the possession and cultivation of cannabis in 2021.

The law in Luxembourg, initially proposed by the ministers of justice and internal security in 2021, will allow adults to possess up to three grams of cannabis in public places and cultivate up to four plants in a secure location within their private residences.

The full statement from the Ministry of Justice reads as follows:

“On July 17, 2023, the law of July 10, 2023, amending the amended law of February 19, 1973, regarding the sale of medicinal substances and the fight against drug addiction, providing for the legalization of home cultivation of cannabis under certain conditions, was published in the Official Journal. It will take effect on the fourth day following its publication, namely on Friday, July 21, 2023.”

Luxembourg to Define Penalties for Exceeding Permitted Amounts

The upcoming regulations will soon define penalties for possession and cultivation exceeding the permitted amount. Purchasing and possessing more than three grams of cannabis may be punishable by up to six months imprisonment—a strict penalty, especially considering the relatively low possession limit. Consumption in public places will remain prohibited.

Cannabis Criminalization an “Absolute Failure”

At the conclusion of last month’s debate, Minister of Justice Sam Tanson stated that the criminalization of cannabis in Luxembourg was an “absolute failure.” Therefore, as he said, “we must dare to take a different path” and “seek solutions.”

This change has been long-awaited as the coalition of major parties in Luxembourg agreed in 2018 to introduce legislation allowing for the “exemption from punishment, and even legalization” of cannabis.

Meanwhile, in Germany…

Meanwhile outside of Luxembourg, the government in neighboring Germany assures that it remains committed to implementing legalization through a gradual regulatory model.

Earlier this month, the German Ministry of Health presented a draft law on the legalization of possession, cultivation of cannabis and social clubs. This is the first step in a planned two-stage reform. The second stage of the reform includes a pilot program for the sale of cannabis in licensed stores in selected German cities.

Top officials from Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands held a similar meeting last year to discuss plans and challenges related to the legalization of recreational cannabis.

Support for Cannabis Legalization in Luxembourg and Beyond

An innovative international study published last year revealed that the majority of people support legalization in several key European countries in addition to Luxembourg, including Germany.

The new law in legalizing the possession and cultivation of cannabis in Luxembourg for adults, which will officially take effect on Friday, is another step towards changing the approach to drug policy in Europe.

While the debate on cannabis legalization is far from over, Luxembourg, like Malta the year before, sets an example for other European Union countries, demonstrating the possibility of a new approach to this issue.

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(Featured image by Jyrki Nieminen via Pexels)

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