The new initiative allows for adults recreational consumption of cannabis. All over 18’s in Luxembourg will be allowed to use cannabis, and to grow up to four plants per household, which would make it the first country in Europe to fully legalize the production and consumption of the drug. Consuming cannabis in public, however, will remain illegal.
Selling seeds would also be permitted under the new legislation, with no limit on the quantity or levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis.
The change of policy is an attempt by the government to crack down on drug-related crime and the black market drugs trade. Ministers will now be able to regulate the currently illegal cannabis market.
The new legislation has the backing of the government coalition, but a vote in parliament is still required to confirm the new proposals. It puts Luxembourg, with a population of just over 600,000 people, at the forefront of a growing movement across the continent to relax cannabis legislation.
Italy will likely decide whether or not to decriminalize cannabis in a referendum next year, after campaign groups managed to gather the required 500,000 signatures required to force a vote.
The consumption of cannabis is not criminalized under Italian law and marijuana for medical purposes is permitted. However, buying, selling and mass cultivating the herb is illegal and dealers could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. If Italy votes to decriminalize cannabis, the purchase, sale and cultivation of the drug there will all become legal.