Luxembourg is the first country in Europe to legalize self-cultivation of cannabis

Adults in Luxembourg will be able to grow up to four cannabis plants at home, according to an announcement made today by the government, quoted by The Guardian. The new laws make Luxembourg the first country in Europe to legalize the production and consumption of cannabis.

Under the law, people aged 18 and over can legally grow up to four cannabis plants per family for personal use. Trade in seeds will also be allowed, without any limit on the amount or levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent. It will also be possible to buy seeds in stores, import them or buy them online, betting on the national production of seeds for commercial purposes.

Justice Minister Sam Tamson described the change in the law on domestic production and consumption as a first step towards improving the situation in the country: “We felt we had to act, we have a drug problem, cannabis is the most used and a large part comes from the illegal market”.

“We want to start allowing people to grow at home. The idea is that a consumer is not in an illegal situation if he consumes cannabis and that we do not support the illegal chain from production to transport and sale, where there is a lot of associated misery. We want to do everything in our power to move further and further away from the illegal black market,” said the minister.

How it will work

Home growers will be able to grow up to four plants, as long as it is in their usual residence, indoors or outdoors, on a balcony, terrace or garden.

Consumption and transport of more than three grams will be prohibited and cannabis products other than seeds may not be sold. The consumption and transport of quantities of up to 3 grams is no longer considered a crime, but it is an offence, with fines lowering to €25 (instead of €250 to €2.500). “Above three grams, nothing changes, it will be considered a reseller,” Tamson said. Driving under the influence of cannabis will also be prohibited.

Government sources told The Guardian that the legislation was driven by a desire to liberalize consumption and cultivation "within our own four walls".

The move is the Luxembourg government's first step in keeping users away from the illegal market.

A state-regulated production and distribution system is planned by the government to ensure product quality, with sales proceeds to be invested “mainly in prevention, education and health in the broad field of addiction”.

The general framework for the revision of the law was agreed two years ago in a coalition of Liberals, Social Democrats and Greens.

Domino effect
Dozens of countries around the world have legalized cannabis for therapeutic purposes and many are seriously considering legalizing adult use. Uruguay was the first country in the world to create a national legal cannabis market in 2013, followed by Canada in 2018. Luxembourg will join Canada, Uruguay and 11 states in the United States of America in circumventing the 1961, on the control of substances, which obliges signatories to limit “exclusively for medical and scientific purposes the production, manufacture, export, import distribution, trade, employment and possession of substances”.

Several countries in Europe, such as Malta, Italy or Switzerland, have already announced their willingness to move towards liberalization and regulation, so it is only a matter of time. The domino effect has already started.