Pilot project for legal access to cannabis for non-medical purposes: Report of Luxembourg's 'Cannabis for non-medical purposes' working group

The Luxembourg Government’s 2018-2023 coalition agreement highlights government action on “social cohesion policy” and “the promotion of an inclusive and welcoming society supporting equity, individual freedom and mutual respect. The government is aware of the role of the state in ensuring that these values translate into action.”

The following provisions of the “Recreational cannabis” section of the coalition agreement are in line with these values and this ambition:

“Legislation on recreational cannabis use will be drawn up. Its main goals will be to decriminalise, or even legalise, under conditions that are yet to be determined, production within the territory of Luxembourg, along with the purchase, possession and recreational use of cannabis for the personal needs of residents of legal age; to move users outside the black market; to resolutely reduce the related mental and physical hazards; and to combat criminality
at the supply level. To that end, a national production and marketing chain will be established, with a view to guaranteeing the quality of the product. In the investment of the revenue generated by cannabis sales, priority will be given to prevention, awareness-raising and treatment in respect of the huge numbers of addicts.”

Luxembourg wishes to respond responsibly and realistically to the social phenomenon of large-scale cannabis use observed in the general population, despite a long-standing policy of imposing penalties and preventing addiction, by implementing a pilot project which, without normalising or trivialising this product and its use, targets public health and safety-related objectives. This political will is part of the government’s plan to find alternative ways to address societal problems or phenomena, as has been the case in other areas.