Brussels - The Belgian government has decided to decriminalise the use and possession of cannabis for personal consumption, a spokesman for the Prime Minister, Mr Guy Verhofstadt, said yesterday. However, no definition was specified for the term "personal use and possession" in the statement, leaving the public prosecutor to prove that possession of any amount of cannabis fell outside the authorised amount.
The spokesman said the ban on use and possession of cannabis for personal use would be removed from the penal code shortly. The decision, part of a new Belgian "global policy" on drugs, was taken yesterday during a limited cabinet meeting and will be made official at a full cabinet meeting today, the spokesman said.