Luxembourg: Lawmakers begin work to legalise growing weed

By Cordula Schnuer / Delano

After first floating the idea to legalise recreational cannabis in 2018, the government on Wednesday presented a draft law that will allow adults to grow up to four cannabis plants at home.

Cannabis is the most-used recreational drug in Luxembourg. Around 7.3% of 15 to 18-year-olds in a report said they had consumed cannabis in the last month. More than a third of 15 to 34-year-olds said they had tried cannabis at some point in their life.

Under the government plans, a household with at least one adult will be able to grow four cannabis plants at home from seeds, although they must be hidden from public sight. Consumption at home will also be allowed.

“The legalisation of self-cultivation and private consumption is a first step in the concept of countering the illegal market and illegal trade in cannabis,” the justice ministry said in a presentation.

The pandemic had delayed the project to legalise recreational cannabis, but the government also faced legal challenges. Luxembourg has signed three UN treaties which say cannabis may only be used for medical or research purposes and together form a global drug control framework. This poses difficulties to import the drug.