On their side of the border, possession of cannabis is no longer illegal. Since Friday, Luxembourg has allowed the cultivation of four cannabis plants per household for adults. The law, voted in June by the deputies of the Grand Duchy, at the same time authorizes the personal consumption of plants cultivated within the private sphere.
However, some conditions remain to be met for the 660,000 Luxembourgers. The four authorised plants must be grown exclusively from seed, within the cultivator's home or habitual residence, and must not be visible from public roads.
Seeds that can be purchased online
This consumption must be done only at the place of cultivation and outside the presence of minors. The latter are obviously not concerned by this legalization, either for culture or consumption. Seeds to grow your own cannabis plants can now be purchased commercially or online in Luxembourg.
These rules will have to be scrupulously respected by growers, at the risk of exposing themselves to fines of up to 250,000 euros, in case of cultivation of more than four plants or cultivation outside the home for example. Driving under the influence of cannabis also remains prohibited.
A "lighter criminal procedure" provided for in case of violation of the law
However, in "an approach to reducing health risks and preventing crime", the new Luxembourg law now provides for "the decorrection of criminal sanctions for small quantities of cannabis" held on public roads.
A "lighter criminal procedure" also comes into force for cannabis-related acts that remain prohibited throughout the country, such as "consumption, possession, transport and acquisition in public", up to a limit of 3 g of the substance.
For those prosecuted for these offenses, "a warning taxed at 145 euros" may be issued by the authorities. It is only beyond the 3 g possessed that criminal proceedings for possession of cannabis can go up to six months in prison and a fine of 2,500 euros.
Luxembourg joins Canada, Uruguay, Mexico and eleven American states that have decided to decriminalize the use of cannabis for recreational use. In Europe, the countries most relaxed with regard to the consumption of this substance have so far been the Netherlands and Spain where a tolerance allows its recreational use.