Medical cannabis patients in Malta are starting to give up on the complicated and bureaucratic system that they have to deal with to obtain their medicine.

Speaking with Lovin Malta, a 40-year-old anxiety patient stated that at this point they’re better off buying from the black market after health authorities started to impose the white control card to be signed by the prescriber for each prescription.

Up until a few weeks ago, medical cannabis patients could obtain their medicine without having to get their white control card signed by their doctor – but now, pharmacists are no longer accepting this.

“I struggle with anxiety and this filled me with even more anxiety. They’re pushing me to not buy legally anymore unfortunately because it’s too complicated,” the patient told Lovin Malta.

“I’ve now made an appointment with my doctor to remove my medical cannabis permit and to stop getting it because I cannot deal with all this hassle brought on by this useless paperwork,” they continued.

“Control card and two permits every year, another €10 for each prescription, and fuel to travel to get the medicine, and now this signature too – it shouldn’t have been legalised if we’re going to have all this bullshit.”

“The health authorities want to make a patient’s life a living hell. Are they here to heal us or to ruin us?” they questioned.

“I’m going to remove my permit and go back to getting it illegally; even though it entrails more risks for me, it’s definitely less hassle.”

Detailing how beneficial the use of medical cannabis has been for them, they recounted how they have been sleeping and socialising well, and lamented that now they have to go back to how they were before the medical cannabis.

“In my opinion, they’re trying to push patients back to the dealers. At first, it was working, but now it’s pushing everyone away again.”

They also detailed how difficult it is for them to obtain a signature for each prescription, due to working on a shift basis and the opening hours of the doctor.

“I’ve been getting it comfortably for the last four years and now it’s going to negatively impact society again if people’s medicine is so hard to get.”

This is the third article highlighting medical cannabis patients’ struggles, with Lovin Malta having previously spoken to an amputee and a multiple sclerosis patient on the matter.

Lovin Malta recently published an opinion piece on how Malta’s medical cannabis industry is failing its patients. Read it here.