Ever since Canada became the first major country to legalize cannabis for adults a year ago, other nations have been paying attention.
The small South American nation of Uruguay was the first to legalize cannabis for adults. New Zealand, Luxembourg and Mexico are among those that have looked to Canada for guidance or lessons, while Russia has chastised it for its "barefaced" flouting of international anti-drug treaties.
Luxembourg
The small nation of about 615,000 people has decriminalized possession of small amounts of the drug, and since January it has allowed medical use. Now it is aiming to become the first country in Europe to legalize and regulate recreational sales to adults, a development that could lead to broader cannabis regulation in the European Union.
The government has announced that it intends to legalize sales, with Health Minister Etienne Schneider recently telling the Euronews television network that the country's cannabis legislation will be "inspired by the Canadian model." Officials estimate that it will take about two years before legal sales begin.
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