Malta approved the recreational use of cannabis, and the possession, but not the cultivation, of small amounts. This beats Luxembourg, which was the first EU member to significantly relax its laws on this substance.
New legislation further decriminalizing the use and cultivation of cannabis was approved by Malta’s parliament on Tuesday. The bill was passed by 36 votes to 27, and now needs to be signed into law by the country’s president.
Owen Bonnici, the equality minister who spearheaded this bill’s approval, hailed it as a victory. Bonnici stated that it was the approval of a brand new law. “harm-reduction approach”To the substance and gave himself and others who supported the change a slap on the back via Twitter.
“The cannabis reform bill has just been approved at third reading stage. We are the change makers,”Minister wrote.
It’s a yes! #CannabisJust passed the third reading of reform bill. We are the change-makers.
— •Owen Bonnici (@OwenBonnici) December 14, 2021
Adults will legally be allowed to possess as much cannabis as they like under the new rules. An administrative tribunal will decide whether a person is guilty of possessing a larger amount of marijuana than the criminal justice system.
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It is now legal to grow up to four marijuana plants at home. Public display of the cannabis plants is not allowed. The dried product can be kept in your home for up to 50g without any restrictions.
Smoking cannabis in public, however, remains off-limits, with offenders facing a fine of up to €235 ($266), with the penalty increasing to a maximum of €500 if the substance was smoked before minors. It is still illegal to trade cannabis. “cannabis associations”Access to the drug is possible. The drug can only be distributed to these associations by non-profits established by private individuals.
It was met with fierce criticism by the centre-right opposition as well as doctors and NGOs, along with critics warning about the possible negative consequences. Fears of turning Malta into a drug den, however, have been dismissed by the law’s sponsors, who do not believe there could be a risk of it leading to rampant cannabis abuse.
“The government is in no way urging adults to resort to cannabis use or promoting a cannabis culture. The government always urges people to make healthier choices,”Bonnici recently wrote a piece for Sunday Times of Malta.
This legislation will make Malta the first EU member to relax all cannabis restrictions. Luxembourg had a similar plan in October but the legislation is still being approved by Parliament.
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