Luxembourg Becomes the First Country in Europe to Legalize Cannabis

The good news for the adults of Luxembourg is that they can now grow their Cannabis, although the limit is only four cannabis plants inside their homes. This article will find out how Luxembourg became the first country in Europe to legalize Cannabis. Some rules and regulations are there to keep everything stable. This law makes Luxembourg one of the first European countries to legalize Cannabis.

The announcement was made on Friday 22nd of October 2021. The government indicated some changes in the country’s approach to legalizing the recreational use of Cannabis and cultivation. Under this legislation, all the people in Luxembourg who are 18 years of age or older can legally own, grow and use cannabis plants per household just for personal use. The government also said that all the activities related to Cannabis should not cross the prohibited lines of service.

The government will have surveillance on any trading that goes on. The permitted THC quantity can not exceed the given limit because it is a psychoactive substance and needs to be grown or used in a controlled amount. However, the government also said that the people of Luxembourg could buy cannabis seeds from online weed dispensaries as long as they are above 18 years of age.

Domestic Production of Cannabis Seed

The government has also intended to legalize domestic cannabis seed production solely to help them maintain the national production chain. State-regulated distribution will be controlled but delayed because of the Covid pandemic.

The justice minister of Luxembourg, Sam Tanson, also described that it is their first step to work and legalize domestic cannabis seed production and consumption. The main reason behind this legalization was the realization that they should act on this issue as soon as possible, as they have had problems with Cannabis for quite some time. The problems were related to the illegal use of Cannabis and an increased number of people using it illegally.

She also suggested that if they allowed people to grow their Cannabis at home inside their gardens, they would not actively participate in any illegal activity. The idea is to control the black market, where consumption of Cannabis only increases the unlawful support of the said substance. This act is the first step to decrease the black market activity while keeping more people from engaging with them unnecessarily. There is a lot of misery attached to buying and selling Cannabis, and legalization would certainly help everyone.

Legal Prohibition For Homeowners

For all the home growers, four plants are the limit as per the laws, and they can grow them anywhere as long as it is inside their property, including their balcony, indoor, outdoor, terrace or garden. The legal prohibition for homeowners also includes that the transport of Cannabis or any cannabis-related product cannot be done publicly. Trading of Cannabis or any cannabis products, whether free or in return for any payment, is also prohibited.

Under this new legalization of Cannabis, the consumption or the transport of a quantity under 3 grams will no longer be considered a criminal act. It will be classified as a misdemeanour and will be handled accordingly. Cannabis fines will also reduce the penalties as little as €25 that earlier was €251 to €2,500. The law is the same for anything above the 3-gram limit. Any quantity that exceeds the limit will be considered a serious offence. A person driving a car under the influence will also be charged accordingly. There are zero-tolerance policies for anyone who fails to follow the protocol after the legalization.

This initiative also plays a vital role in ending the desire to liberalize cannabis consumption. There is no issue as long as it remains within one’s own four walls. The Luxembourg government has made this step to pass fundamental re-regulations for the state to handle the illegal activity at large. A planned system of state-regulated production and distribution is in the process to ensure a safe quality product, and all the revenue generated from it can be used for the right purposes.

It will also allow the government to prevent cannabis addiction and educate all the healthcare departments about it. The government took this legal step to enhance the framework, and the law was agreed two years ago, in a coalition of agreement with the liberals, greens and the social democrats.

The Next Step

The next step of the Luxembourg government is to move with Canada and all other states in the UN convention working on the control of narcotic drugs. This combined initiative is to limit the use of Cannabis exclusively for medical and scientific purposes, including the production, manufacturing, exporting, importing, distribution, and trade. All employment that comes under the possession of drugs, including Cannabis, will also be monitored by the government.

Uruguay became one of the first countries to introduce its first legal national marijuana marketplace when it legalized Cannabis in 2013. In the same footsteps, Canada followed and now is one of those countries where Cannabis is legal within boundaries set by the government.

Final Words

Netherland is one of Europe’s most sophisticated and relaxed countries towards the use of Cannabis. The country has also made it illegal to possess, use or trade weed. However, it has some tolerance policy that makes it easy for users to use Cannabis within legal boundaries. Although Cannabis remains illegal in all other states in the UK, those caught with cannabis drugs will face five years in prison and an unlimited fine in both situations.

If you want to know more about Cannabis, feel free to contact us, and we would be happy to help.