For several years, Luxembourg looked poised to become the first European country to adopt a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure. As we now know, Luxembourg would prove to be the second country to do so, behind Malta.

Malta adopted Europe’s first adult-use cannabis legalization measure in 2021, with Luxembourg following suit in 2023. At the time that lawmakers in Luxembourg approved the measure, only Uruguay, Canada, and Malta had made the policy change at a national level.

Luxembourg’s legalization model remains the most restrictive national legalization model not only in Europe, but throughout the world. Adults can cultivate a personal number of plants in their private residences and possess a small amount of cannabis. Luxembourg’s legal possession limit is by far the smallest out of the legalized nations.

Germany, South Africa, and Czechia (takes effect next month), which followed Luxembourg in adopting national legalization measures, all have considerably greater possession limits compared to Luxembourg. The same is true for Uruguay, Canada, and Malta.

Over two years after Luxembourg implemented its legalization measure, public policy observers and researchers are examining what impact the public policy change has had on various aspects of Luxembourg’s society and government.

One thing that appears to be relatively unchanged is the unregulated market’s control over cannabis sales, which is not at all surprising given that recreational cannabis sales remain prohibited in Luxembourg. Until there are at least cultivation associations and regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials, the unregulated market will continue to thrive in Luxembourg.

Current European Union agreements prohibit robust nationwide cannabis sales models, such as what is currently in place in Canada. Even countries in Europe that are not part of the European Union are impacted by this limitation via other continental agreements. However, cultivation associations and pilot trials are in line with such agreements.

An estimated 14.6% of adults in Luxembourg have consumed cannabis within the last year. To put that number into perspective, according to the European Union Drugs Agency, Italy’s last-year usage rate is 21.5% and Croatia’s is 20.3%. A reported 11.5% of Luxembourg’s adults report having cultivated cannabis in their homes post-legalization.

“In 2024, the proportion of THC found in confiscated cannabis was higher than ever before. Around 16.4% was found in the herb, 33.5% in the resin and up to 88.7% in hash oil.” reported RTL Today in its local coverage.