Justice minister Sam Tanson wants a bill allowing the state to produce recreational cannabis to be tabled at the chamber of deputies before it becomes law (Photop: Matic Zorman/Maison Moderne/Archives)

Justice minister Sam Tanson wants a bill allowing the state to produce recreational cannabis to be tabled at the chamber of deputies before it becomes law (Photop: Matic Zorman/Maison Moderne/Archives)

The government wants to introduce a bill that will allow the state to produce recreational cannabis.

Having taken a favourable stance, from a legal standpoint on the state-controlled cultivation of medical cannabis, and on a bill authorising, among other things, the private cultivation of a maximum of four cannabis plants by a , the government will consider the establishment of a production chain for recreational cannabis under its control.

This was explained a few days ago by health minister (LSAP) and justice minister (déi Gréng). A bill to this effect will be tabled by the end of this legislative term.

Given the failure of repressive strategy, the government aims to eventually control the entire production chain of recreational cannabis. "Almost half a century after the entry into force of our law establishing the criminalisation of drug-related behaviour, namely the law of 19 February 1973 on the sale of medicinal substances and the fight against drug addiction, Luxembourg still has a drug policy that is mainly focused on repression. However, as our statistics show, the failure of this approach cannot be denied, and the time has come to develop a new approach, based on dialogue with countries that have made the same observation and with European and international institutions", Tanson said. But she also stressed that drafting the relevant bill will be extremely complex.

Prevention rather than repression

An additional problem is that Luxembourg is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Control of Narcotic Drugs in 1972, which stipulates that countries must take legislative measures to limit the production, manufacture, distribution, trade and possession of narcotics exclusively to medical and scientific purposes.

The bill Tanson is proposing will also regulate the marketing of the state-cultivated cannabis. The idea is that sales would be restricted to residents only adds to the complexity of the legal issues.

Luxembourg does not want to go down this path alone and has invited Germany, Malta and the Netherlands to a consultation on the legal regulation of cannabis for non-medical and non-scientific use, leading to a joint declaration.

"I am convinced that a paradigm shift in cannabis policy is needed, based on the primary responsibility to adopt a coherent, balanced and evidence-based approach aimed at achieving the most beneficial outcome for society. The adoption of these new public policies, focusing on prevention and the reduction of risks and harm through regulation rather than repression and enforcement, presents us with new challenges at international and European level, which we have constructively addressed in our consultation", said Paulette Lenert.

This articleon Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.