PN Comes Out In Favour Of ‘Considering’ Further Decriminalisation Of Cannabis For Personal Use
Robert Abela’s plan to regulate the “responsible” personal use of cannabis may have just got a lot easier as the Nationalist Party came out in favour of the proposal.
“The PN is in favour of considering further decriminalising the possession of cannabis for responsible personal use,” a PN spokesperson told Lovin Malta.
“This is a natural consequence of the position already adopted by the Party in 2015 when it voted in favour of the amendments to the Criminal Code.”
“We are looking forward to the draft legislation which will be presented by Government. This draft legislation should also form part of a national plan which seriously addresses the rising problem of drug and substance abuse in Malta together with the necessary safeguards to prevent abuse.”
“Once this draft legislation is published the PN will address all its resources to improve and strengthen it.”
The PN’s policy position comes a few months after MEP Roberta Metsola called for the expungement of criminal records of non-violent drug offenders in a Lovin Malta documentary.
Earlier today, the Prime Minister pledged to present a draft law, or white paper, as the “final stage” of the consultation process that was spearheaded by Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms Rosianne Cutajar.
Details are scant at this stage, but the OPM told Lovin Malta the reform proposes pushing up the possession limits to “reasonable” levels so as to completely eliminate arrests of cannabis users.
Government is also considering allowing the cultivation of a small number of plants strictly for personal use, and reviewing the functions of the Drugs Tribunal.
The Prime Minister’s comments come days after the arrest of two teenagers who were caught smoking weed in a hotel room on Valentine’s Day. The arrest sparked outrage and calls from all quarters, including Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola and Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, for laws to be amended and police resources to be put to better use.
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