Medical Cannabis Patient Taken To Court For Carrying Medicine… Even Though Malta Legalised Back In May
A medical cannabis patient who visited Malta on a cruise ship has been sent to court and fined €800 after pleading guilty to the possession of cannabis.
Fernando Torne Sanz, a 54-year-old tourist and a chronic pain sufferer, had disembarked from the cruise ship he was visiting on, carrying 18.2 grams of medical cannabis on his person.
Torne Sanz told courts that he was in possession of a medical prescription for cannabis, and used it to treat his illness. However, duty magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech ordered the destruction of the man’s medicine, declared the man guilty and fined him €800.
While facing court charges, the cruise ship Torne Sanz had been residing on had departed the island, leaving him stuck in Malta.
Malta legalised medical cannabis back in May
However, both Maltese and foreign patients have come up against multiple obstacles, with some people even giving up entirely on ever getting their hands on medical cannabis.
Medical cannabis is being sold in at least two pharmacies, and at least two Maltese pharmaceutical importers – Cherubino and Pharma.MT – are importing medical cannabis under the Pedanios and Bedrocan brands respectively.
What do you think of this arraignment?
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