Watch: Despite PN’s Fearmongering, Bernard Grech Confirms Party Will Keep Cannabis Law If It Wins Election
Less than three months after the PN warned that a cannabis legalisation bill will create a “drug abuse culture”, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has confirmed the party has no intention repealing the law if it wins the election.
“We want to keep on moving forwards,” Grech said in an interview with Lovin Malta when asked whether the PN intends to repeal the landmark law.
“The law is there and we don’t have a problem with it remaining there but we recognise the damages it causes and, because we are firm in our beliefs, we will address them.”
He downplayed concerns that the PN’s decision to oppose the law will come back to haunt them at the election.
“We managed to convey the message that while we understand that thousands of people consume cannabis, we believe that legalising it will normalise it and send out a negative message.”
“We must consult the experts and minimise the negative effects of this law as much as possible.”
Last December, Malta became the first country in the European Union to legalise cannabis for recreational use.
People are allowed to grow up to four plants at home and carry up to 7g on their person without any risk of being arrested unless police have reasonable suspicion of drug trafficking.
Non-profit cannabis associations will also be set up to grow the plant on behalf of their members, and a new authority spearheaded by psychotherapist Mariella Dimech has been entrusted to oversee the regime.
You can read Lovin Malta’s interview with Dimech here.
The PN’s stance on cannabis reform has proven to be quite confusing.
Grech said in August 2020 that the reform should tackle how people can purchase the plant through legal means and even took credit for the bill when it was published.
However, the party’s parliamentary group then decided to oppose the law on the grounds that it will “normalise drug abuse and give rise to an increase in drug abuse”.
Now it seems it has decided the law is here to stay…
Do you agree with Malta’s decision to legalise cannabis for personal use?
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