Health Minister Etienne Schneider has announced plans to legalize cannabis within the next two years, and is calling on neighboring countries to relax their laws.
Luxembourg called on its EU neighbors to relax their drug laws as its Health Minister confirmed his intention to become the first European country to legalize the production and consumption of cannabis.
“This anti-drug policy we’ve had for the last 50 years hasn’t worked,” Etienne Schneider told Politico. “Banning everything has made things even more interesting for young people… I hope we’ll all have a more open attitude to drugs.”
Residents over the age of 18 should be able to legally purchase the drug for recreational use within two years. The state will regulate production and distribution through a cannabis agency. A bill is expected to be unveiled later this year, providing further details on the types of cannabis that will be offered for sale and the level of tax that will be imposed. Schneider said the legislation was likely to prohibit non-residents from buying cannabis in order to deter drug tourism. Domestic cultivation is also likely to be banned.
Jacob
