Growing and smoking weed at home now legal in Luxembourg

A law allowing Luxembourg residents to grow up to four cannabis plants and smoke the drug at home will come into force on Friday, just ahead of the elections in autumn.

The law, approved by a majority of lawmakers at the end of last month, was published in the official law journal on Monday and will come into force on Friday, the justice ministry said in a press release on Tuesday.

The law, which was years in the making, will enable people to grow up to four cannabis plants per household at home. This must be done out of sight of minors. Smoking cannabis is only legal at the same premise, while the sale or possession of the drug outside is still illegal, but now carries lower fines.

Anyone found to be carrying up to three grams of cannabis could be fined €145 under the new law - down from €2,500 previously. No legal proceedings will follow and it will not be added to the person's criminal record, the law states. Carrying larger amounts could result in a higher penalty or even a prison sentence.

38 lawmakers, including all MPs belonging to the government, the leftwing Déi Lénk and the Pirate Party, supported the bill, whereas the CSV Christian Democrats voted against it. Three lawmakers of the rightwing ADR approved the cannabis legalisation, with one deputy voting against it.