Since 2018, the use of medical cannabis has been legal in Luxembourg for certain ailments. Originally planned as a two-year pilot project, it appears to still be a work in progress.

RTL has interviewed two patients who have experienced the benefits of Luxembourg's medicinal cannabis pilot project. One of the patients, Jacques Steffen, has been suffering from multiple sclerosis for the past 45 years and has severe pain and stiff muscles in his legs, which often leaves him unable to sleep. Steffen says that CBD has helped him carry out certain exercises with ease. Conditions such as chronic pain, MS, and cancer are among the qualifying illnesses for medical cannabis under the Health Directorate's pilot project.

Last summer, Steffen's neurologist recommended medical cannabis for the first time, containing THC, which he believes will provide better results than CBD. However, there are no plans to include raw CBD products in the pilot project, and Steffen pays €300 per month for the relief that CBD drops provide.

Joé Buchler, who works in a CBD shop and is himself a patient for medical cannabis, said that he suffers from chronic pain, and he cannot rely on other medicines as they upset his stomach. Personally, CBD has helped Buchler lead a normal life without pain limiting his everyday activities. However, Buchler wishes for more variety and choice in the future as he never knows which of the two types of medical cannabis will be available, and each type has a different effect.

There have been some stock issues during the pilot phase, leading to difficulties for patients relying on the medication. However, the supplier has since been changed to avoid further shortages.

Line Olinger, the president of Cannamedica Luxembourg ASBL, believes that medical cannabis should be more widely available, as it has a diffuse effect on our endocannabinoid system, which Olinger says was only discovered in 2021. As cannabis has often been subjected to restrictions, Olinger thinks that making it more accessible will help people determine if it works for them or not.

The current pilot project is based on recommendations from a 2017 meta-study.

783 patients were prescribed medical cannabis by 2021. The report covering the first two years of the project can be found here.

Video report in Luxembourgish