Malta ‘Several Steps Ahead Of Everyone Else’, Global Cannabis Expert Hails Island’s Pioneering Vision
An international drug policy expert has praised the island’s pioneering cannabis regulations framework, calling Malta’s vision “brilliant”.
Steve Rolles, author of Transform’s 2009 book ‘After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation’, The Guardian contributor and consultant to the governments of Uruguay, Jamaica and others on cannabis policy, joined Malta’s Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis Chairperson Mariella Dimech in laying out the key bits of the island’s framework.
During ARUC’s first forum since Malta regulated cannabis late in December 2021, Dimech made it clear that the island was breaking new ground and creating an ethical, non-profit, harm-reductive national system that no one else in the world was doing – something Rolles agreed with.
“We don’t get much news about Malta in the UK, but this made the news. The world is watching Malta,” Rolles said. “You are rejecting the failed and harmful approach from the past – this is brilliant. This is a fundamentally positive move.”
Congratulating the island on being European pioneers, he noted that other countries – like Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland – were all discussing a new approach to cannabis.
However, he placed special emphasis on Malta’s non-profit based industry, saying this approach was “commendable”.
Dimech noted that though there are models in place in parts of Spain and in Holland, those clubs still relied on the black market for their cannabis product – something that would not be the case in Malta.
She also emphasised how, currently, black market prices are reliant on things such as availability and the dealer’s mood, which could lead to major fluctuations in prices.
Unveiling the criteria for organisations to apply for cannabis clubs, she urged anyone who gets a license to play by the rules, noting that the authority would be kicking things off in a strict manner to ensure there are no unethical clubs popping ups. However, she made it clear the authority would be supporting those that played by the rules.
“Our job is to not make things difficult for those interested in getting a license,” she said. However, she made it clear that there were no plans as of yet to move away from a “harm reduction approach.”
Their excitement was palpable, with Dimech saying that “30 years ago, this was unimaginable. We need to realise how important what we’re doing here is – we are the first, and we aren’t just ‘tolerating it’,” she said, taking a dig at the outdated Dutch system.
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