The smallest EU member state is serious: Cannabis is likely to become legal here.
Malta will in all likelihood legalize cannabis. The proposed law is about to be voted on in Parliament for the last time. If the outcome is positive, legalization could be enshrined in law within the next two weeks.
In concrete terms, this means that the citizens of Malta are allowed to grow (and consume) hemp in their own homes and to open Cannabis Social Clubs where cannabis can be consumed. The way there was not short: the government, which was elected in 2017, advertised legalization before the election. In the end, it took four years for the promise to become a fact.
This was also related to some bureaucratic, or rather, political hurdles: It was not until March 2021 that the government of the smallest member state of the EU presented a letter in which it presented its vision for dealing with cannabis. After all, it was a letter with arguments from legal, medical and scientific experts that established four pillars: cultivation, possession, consumption and society.
The subtleties are also difficult: Adult citizens are allowed to carry up to seven grams with them, if more they commit an administrative offence. The plants grown at home must not be visible to other households and possession of more than 50 grams in your own home is an offence. For modern, highly potent plants, 50 grams isn't exactly a lot.
Nevertheless, the step is one in the right direction: Malta hopes, as well as about Germany and Luxembourg, a drastic reduction in black market and adulterated products. The Cannabis Social Clubs are run according to the Spanish model and must maintain a minimum distance from schools and kindergartens. Cannabis has also been partially decriminalized in Malta since 2015, for medical purposes, for example.
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