Cannabis Campaign: Luxembourg's tough stance

There are at present no standard EU regulations governing the illegal possession of cannabis, and implementation differs greatly between the 15 member states, writes Tarquin Cooper.

As far as Luxembourg is concerned, cannabis use is controlled by a law passed in 1973, which states that all possession is illegal. There have been no moves towards decriminalising since then.

However, penalties are under discussion, and there has been a parliamentary discussion over the appropriate punishment for the possession or consumption of small amounts of cannabis. A fine instead of a jail sentence is being sought by reformers.

The law states that a person caught in possession of any amount of the drug will be summoned to appear in front of a tribunal. In practice, this course of action is often left to the discretion of the arresting police officer. The possession of two or three grams, or an amount that is considered to be for personal use only and not for trafficking, is usually ignored. If an individual is summoned to court for possession of a small quantity of cannabis and they agree to see a psychologist, no further penalty is exacted.

Should, however, the individual refuse the psychologist's help they could in theory go to jail - although in the end it is more likely to result in a fine, or a warning.

It remains illegal to prescribe cannabis for medicinal purposes, and there are at present no moves being made by the government or independent groups to change the situation.