A 15-year court case against a Maltese cannabis user recently came to an end

On the Mediterranean island of Malta, a man was caught with cannabis 15 years ago and his trial has recently been completed.

In June 2008, Conray Azzopardi’s home was searched by local police. According to the Times Malta, he tried to flee and dropped “a bag of cannabis packed in individual packets.” The police also found 250 euros (about 264 US dollars). Azzopardi was charged with drug possession with intent to deal in drugs.

According to a translated court document released on December 28, 2018, which covered the scope of Azzopardi’s case and ended with a conclusion by Judge Natasha Galea Sciberras, which sentenced Azzopardi to one year in prison and a €1,000 ($1,096) fine.

However, Azzopardi and his legal counsel appealed the decision, and five years later both the Malta Drug Offenders Rehabilitation Board and Caritas Malta (an organization that supports inmates jailed for addiction-related crimes) made recommendations for assistance following the conclusion of the verdict starting his rehabilitation program from Azzopardi.

The Drug Offenders Rehabilitation Board closed his case after he successfully completed his care plan. Azzopardi wanted to apply for medical cannabis to treat unknown conditions but was turned down. The board added that a person being treated in a detox or rehabilitation center is no longer entitled to medicinal cannabis. Finally, it recommended supporting Azzopardi so that he does not resort to the use of illegal substances.

Reviewing the recommendations of the Drug Offenders Rehabilitation Board and Caritas Malta, Court of Appeal Judge Neville Camilleri ruled that Azzopardi’s one-year sentence should be overturned and he should be given a two-year suspended sentence instead.

Medicinal cannabis has been legal in Malta since March 2018 and it became the first country in the European Union to legalize recreational cannabis in October 2021.

Azzopardi’s legal defense team included attorneys Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb. In November 2022, Debono posted on Facebook about the state of cannabis, noting a lack of progress in cannabis sales. “As far as I know, there are no legal outlets where you can buy cannabis, which would mean that Malta is the only country in the world where you can possess cannabis but not legally buy it,” Debono wrote. “I hope that the government understands the seriousness and ugliness of this situation and how much responsibility must be taken.”

According to El Planteo, the Malta Cannabis Authority released the details of opening a cannabis club in February 2023 and began accepting applications from February 28.

In May 2023, Maltese Parliamentary Reform Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg and the head of the Malta Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) spoke at a press conference about new rules for non-profit associations wishing to obtain a cannabis cultivation or distribution license for non-medical purposes .

However, cannabis business owner Andrew Bonello, President of ReLeaf Malta, told Business of Cannabis that ATUC is “treating cannabis like plutonium” and that more action is needed to get the ball rolling.

“While it is positive that entirely unnecessary costs are being reviewed, the overall effectiveness of the ‘fine-tuned’ regulations remains to be seen,” Bonello said. “Many grassroots communities and long-established breeders still find it nearly impossible to set up an association. One wonders how the goals of fighting the illicit market and implementing social justice can be achieved if the needs of those who fought for this reform are ignored.”

By May, only seven associations had submitted applications and eleven had reserved the club name. Bonello explained that he assumes that other associations have submitted applications and are already starting their work. “However, we promise that the fundamental principles of the reform will be respected and that we will act in the best interest of the community and that our efforts will be genuinely focused on social justice and human rights,” Bonello said.