Today’s The Day: Cannabis Might Soon Be Legal For Personal Use As Final Vote Approaches
Today’s the day that many people all over the island have been waiting for: the last and final vote on the ongoing Cannabis bill.
Later in the afternoon, the revolutionary vote will be taken in Parliament, with MPs ready to vote on the bill.
Pro-cannabis legalisation movement ‘ReLeaf’ has also announced this morning that they will be present at Parliament to follow closely and provide updates.
Malta was also recognised for this move on an international level, with The Guardian acknowledging the major achievement yesterday.
Still, it won’t become law until it is approved by Malta’s President George Vella, who will need to give his official ascent for the reform to come into effect. However, despite calls for Vella to refuse to do so, his role is a simple formality and is customary as according to the constitution.
Among the things promised as part of the reform, users aged 18 years or over will be permitted to carry up to seven grams of cannabis, as well as grow up to four plants at home.
However, smoking in public or around children will remain illegal.
One will be allowed to carry up to seven grams without facing prosecution, with the threshold increasing from the current 3.5 grams to seven grams.
Those found with seven grams over up to 28 grams will appear in front of a tribunal instead of a criminal court as it currently is.
Cannabis associations are also being proposed, with NGOs that will be able to grow cannabis on the members’ behalf, and will be limited to 500 members.
Those that also have cannabis-related crimes on their criminal record will have it expunged as a new Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis will be enacted.
Read on here if you would like to get all the details about the cannabis reform.
Are you excited?
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