Malta is the first euro nation to legalize marijuana, but you cannot buy or sell it

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and was republished with permission.

After all, a European country made the big decision to legalize the use, possession and sale of cannabis. The Maltese government said the new law was enacted to decriminalize cannabis use within the country and limit the incidence of cannabis trafficking inside and outside the country.

Marijuana was removed from a list of the world’s most dangerous drugs by the United Nations in December 2020, and several countries are now taking a more liberal stance.

Photo by Karl Paul Baldacchino via Unsplash

The new legislation on recreational cannabis

People are allowed to carry up to seven grams of marijuana, grow up to four plants in their homes and keep up to 50 grams of dried cannabis at home under the law signed by the President last Saturday.

This new law is a step in the right direction for cannabis use in Europe. The formal legalization of the serving and cultivation of cannabis for adult use is a sign of a liberal approach. The acceptance of cannabis in Europe has increased in recent years, and the sooner the governments follow the Maltese concept, the sooner the European economy can benefit from the cannabis boom.

Not everyone was in favor of the new legislation

According to Marica Cassar, a spokeswoman for Catholic Caritas in Malta, the Leisure Time Act is not the right move. She said marijuana normalization would cause the nation more problems. The mind altering substance is becoming popular and, most likely, abused by some people. She backed up this statement by stating that at least 25 percent of the registered people in her organization have cannabis addiction. She said with the new law, it was inevitable that the numbers would increase significantly.

Breakthrough news

In a telephone interview, Malta’s Minister for Equality, Research and Innovation, Owen Bonnici, said the latest cannabis update is groundbreaking. The new law would reduce the incineration rate of cannabis users and the extent of illegal cannabis trafficking within the country’s borders. Bonnici, who introduced and sponsored the bill, added that the new measure would make the country a model for harm reduction.

According to the Maltese government, the new law will not encourage drug use but will protect those who do it. Mr Bonnici also said cannabis use in the Netherlands, which has tolerated the sale and use of marijuana in coffee shops for decades, is on par with the European average.

Beat other countries for legalization

Many countries in Europe such as Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands have some types of decriminalization laws within their borders. However, these countries have a limit on the amount of cannabis that residents can hold. Failure to comply with these limits could lead to civil litigation. In these countries listed, only coffee shops and cannabis social clubs are allowed to sell recreational cannabis according to court rulings.

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Many European countries view the recreational cannabis industry as a gray area. Although several industry bills have been tabled in some of these countries, none have been adopted. Steve Rolles, an analyst who works for a UK cannabis advocacy foundation called Transform Drug Policies, said Malta had successfully approved what other European nations consider to be an inviolable gray area.

Data records can now be deleted

Under the new law, citizens with nonviolent convictions related to cannabis can now request the deletion of their files.

“It’s been a fantastic day,” said Kevin Bellotti, 50, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison in 2003 after being caught with four marijuana plants in his home. Mr Bellotti alleged that he lost his job as a result of the incident, was forced to sell his apartment and was subject to a 10:30 p.m. curfew and daily reporting to a local police station for four years.

Photo by Olena Ruban / Getty Images

He admitted, “I was a victim of the system.” “People who smoke cannabis are no longer seen as criminals in the eyes of the new generation.” Bellotis’ criminal record made it very difficult for him to find a job in a lucrative company. With the new law, he can demand that his conviction be deleted from his criminal record; and he can start growing his own crop of cannabis.

Regulation of cannabis in Malta

The Maltese government has also established the Responsible Use of Cannabis Agency to regulate the recreational use of cannabis. Marijuana will be available from nonprofit outlets located more than 250 meters from schools or youth centers. These nonprofits can grow the drug and sell it to members who can buy up to seven grams per day, with a monthly limit of 50 grams.

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Releaf Group’s president, a proponent of the new legislation, Andrew Bonello, said the new law was an important change from the previous draconian law. With the new law, he believed that residents would have access to better quality marijuana and would also limit the current high level of criminal involvement in drug trafficking.

The country’s economy should also be improved. More jobs will be created and tourists will flock to the country.

Conclusion

Malta is now a clear blueprint for other European countries to approve recreational cannabis reforms. Residents can now start buying pipes, lamps, and other equipment needed to grow and process cannabis for sale or personal use.

So far, most of the marijuana sold in Malta came from Albania via Sicily. Now that the new law allows cannabis to be grown, the plant can be supplied from various farms that are being set up across the country.

Malta has paved the way with the new law, but the public use of cannabis remains banned for the time being. Failure to comply with the regulations can result in high fines.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and was republished with permission.