Doubts about legalizing cannabis in Luxembourg

Justice Minister Sam Tanson refused to confirm that Luxembourg will indeed legalize cannabis for recreational use, in an apparent about-face from in response to a 2018 government pledge which had attracted widespread international attention.

«I can't confirm anything,» Ms. Tanson said in an interview on Luxembourg public radio, according to The Luxembourg Times, when asked whether cannabis would be legalized as provided for in the 2018 coalition agreement. Earlier, she had sidestepped questions about the comprehensive plan to legalize the production, sale, possession, and consumption of cannabis.

Ms. Tanson did, however, state that she would announce a package of measures in October addressing security and drug policy issues, which would include regulations on cannabis use, but she did not provide further details or confirm the possibility of a pilot project for legalization as she had presented it last May.

Former Minister of the Economy Etienne Schneider and Sam Tanson’s predecessor, Felix Braz, visited Canada in 2019 to learn how that country had implemented its regulations to legalize cannabis for adult use that year. In 2020, the Luxembourg government introduced a roadmap for legalization before the next elections in 2023.

According to the Luxembourg Times, Luxembourg’s three neighboring countries (France, Germany, and Belgium) have expressed their dissatisfaction with this plan, fearing that relaxing the rules could lead to unrest in the border regions.

In his radio interview, Sam Tanson stated that the October law should address all issues related to legalization: the use, possession, and sale of cannabis, as well as the safety of residents and the prevention of addiction.

«Our drug policies over the past decade have been a failure; we cannot continue with these repressive measures,» she said. «We want to prevent people from using drugs, but we also want to support those who are addicted, both socially and in terms of their health. And we want to ensure the safety of residents,» said Sam Tanson.