Luxembourg has called on its EU neighbours to relax their drug laws as its health minister confirmed plans to become the first European country to legalise cannabis production and consumption.
Schneider said the legislation was likely to include a ban on non-residents buying cannabis in order to dissuade drug-tourism.
Profile Cannabis: a history Show Hide Cannabis: a history The earliest written reference to cannabis comes from China in the third millennium BC, but archaeological evidence suggests that hemp, probably for use in fabrics, was cultivated as early as 8,000BC.
California kicked off the legalisation of medicinal cannabis in 1996, several states had legalised recreational use by 2012 and a majority of states had legalised medicinal cannabis by 2016.
According to the World Health Organization, there are about 147 million cannabis users worldwide, some 2.5% of the global population.
Luxembourg will follow Canada in legalising the possession of 30 grams of cannabis.
In the Netherlands, possibly the European country most associated with a relaxed attitude toward the use of cannabis, its recreational use, possession and trade is technically illegal. »
