“Due to being in a wheelchair, getting dressed is a hassle, going out is a hassle, getting into a car kills me with pain due to my back – this extra paperwork is causing a lot of problems for those with disabilities,” she stressed.

“We want to act as though Malta’s systems are friendly and accessible for people with disabilities, but these are all unnecessary problems for us,” she said.

She suggested that exceptions should at least be created for those who struggle with mobility problems, to accept a digital signature and not create any more added problems.

The woman also criticised the government’s approach to medical cannabis, with the medicine still being shrouded in stigma.

“At the end of the day, medical cannabis is medicine. So why are authorities still not treating it as such?”

“Four years after medical cannabis was legalised and we are still facing these types of bureaucratic problems. Isn’t this a joke? All these problems for a signature on a piece of paper,” she strongly lamented.

She also stated that the government has a backward mentality when dealing with medical cannabis, and is still very much focused on paperwork rather than moving forward into the digital world.

Praising medical cannabis, she detailed how beneficial it has been for her health since she started using medical cannabis, and how it helps her with her back spasms and pain.

“Compared to the other pills I take, this is what helped me the most in its effects and lack of side effects. Other medicines leave me without any strength, cannabis doesn’t do that,” she said.

During the pandemic, medical cannabis patients had the option to obtain their medicine without getting the white control card signed every time – but this has now changed.

It’s not the first time that patients were placed as the last priority, and it’s high time that Malta’s health authorities move towards making the medicine accessible for its patients.

Do you know anyone who is facing similar problems?