A crucial first step to curb illegal trafficking after the failure of prohibition
After the failure of the attempt to dissuade trafficking through prohibition, this new law is set to overturn all the fundamentals on which Luxembourg's approach to cannabis management was based. Even the marketing of seeds will be allowed, without any limit in terms of quantity or THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) levels. Importing and buying seeds both online and in shops will be possible. In addition, there are already plans to allow the production of seeds for commercial purposes. However, the project has been delayed by Covid-19, so the state-regulated national production and distribution chain is not yet in place. As Sam Tanson, the Minister of Justice, explains, this change in the law should be seen as a first step in the effective fight against drugs. For her, it is imperative to act because "cannabis is the most consumed drug and represents a large part of the illegal traffic". The aim is that consumers will no longer break the law by growing or consuming cannabis at home, while not supporting the illegal chain from production to transport to sale and all the misery that goes with it. "We want to do everything we can to get more and more people away from the illegal black market," she added.
A more permissive and flexible law
Consuming, transporting and selling cannabis or cannabis products publicly, whether for free or not, will still be prohibited. Each grower must limit himself to his usual place of residence, including the terrace or balcony. Nevertheless, the possession and transport of cannabis will now be considered a simple misdemeanour and no longer a criminal offence, for a quantity not exceeding three grams. Above three grams and for motorists, zero tolerance will continue to apply.
