Malta is set to become the first European Union country to legalize cannabis for recreational use.
The bill should be signed into effect later this week by president of Malta, George Vella, after it was passed by a majority vote in Parliament on Tuesday.
“And the ayes have it! The #Cannabis reform bill has just been approved at third reading stage,” tweeted Owen Bonnici, Maltese Minister for Equality, Research and Innovation, who promoted the bill.
“We are the change makers,” he added.
Cannabis for personal use
Under the new laws, anyone aged 18 and over will be legally allowed to possess up to seven grams of cannabis and to grow up to four plants. People growing for personal use will be able to store up to 50 grams of dried marijuana. The consumption of cannabis in public or in the presence of minors, however, remains illegal and subject to fines.
Non profit cannabis clubs
As part of the new regulations, new non-profit clubs will be set up to distribute cannabis and cannabis plant seeds among their members.
Membership to these clubs will be limited to 500 people, and only 7 grams a day can be distributed to each person, with a cap of 50 grams each month.
The organisations will not be permitted to be closer than 250 meters to a school, club or youth centre.
The establishment of an authority to work with the government on national Cannabis policy is also included in the plans.
The first country in Europe to legalize
This bold move by Europe’s smallest country is set to be swiftly followed by several other states:
Luxembourg announced its plans to legalize cannabis in October, but the measures have yet to be approved by parliament. Meanwhile, Germany’s new “traffic light” coalition party’s manifesto includes plans to legalize cannabis and outlaw use of coal.
Italy, who spearheaded the use of “cannabis light” are likely to decide whether or not to decriminalize cannabis in a referendum next year, forced by the weight of campaign groups who gathered the 500,000 signatures required for such a vote.
Speaking to Malta Today, minister for equality Owen Bonnici said: ‘We want to reduce the suffering, humiliation and deprivation of other rights that many cannabis users have experienced when they have been subjected to arrest and judicial proceedings on possession of small amounts.’
The move is opposed by Malta’s opposition Nationalist Party. Its leader Bernard Grech warned in October: ‘The relaxation of the laws will only lead to the strengthening of the illegal market, with organised crime taking advantage,’ according to The Times.
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