PN Submits Urgent And Formal Request For Parliament To Discuss Anti-Cannabis Petition
The Nationalist Party has formally requested that Parliament’s Petitions Committee convene to discuss a petition submitted by a coalition of NGOs last week, calling for a number of amendments to be made to the cannabis reform that is set to become law.
The Bill has made it through the committee stage and is the result of years of consultation with stakeholders. All that remains is a final vote to be taken in Parliament on Tuesday, after which the Bill will find its way on President George Vella’s desk to be signed into law.
The reform has been welcomed by many but has also faced stiff opposition from various groups, including medical associations, religious groups as well as those working with drug addicts.
The vote was scheduled to take place last week, however, the Opposition requested a division, partly due to the fact that the petition had just been submitted.
“After making a formal request in Parliament earlier this week, contact was also made with Labour MP Joe Mizzi, who is the chairperson of the petitions committee, in order for it to be convened urgently to discuss the petition submitted by 53 NGOs and other individuals, the PN said.
“Since no reply has been received, the Opposition has formally written to the chairperson for him to urgently convene, before the vote, the committee.”
The PN stressed that this could be done if both sides of the House agreed to it, adding that the matter was one of “serious, urgent and national importance”
The petition is calling on MPs to increase the minimum age for one to consume cannabis from 18 to 25 years old as well as for fines for smoking cannabis in public to be doubled.
The amount of THC in cannabis consumed by Maltese smokers should also be regulated, they said.
The present law states that cannabis associations, where smokers can collect cannabis grown on their behalf, cannot be within 250 metres of a school.
The petition is also asking for this to be increased to one kilometre. Similarly, the petition is requesting that anyone who lives next to a school be banned from growing cannabis in their home.
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