Malta is very popular with tourists. Malta became the first European country to legalize the use and cultivation of marijuana for personal use. However, consumption in public and in front of children is punishable by heavy fines.
The Maltese Parliament on Tuesday passed a law by 36 votes to 27, allowing Maltese adults to possess up to seven grams of cannabis and grow up to four plants at home. In addition, the law allows for the creation of companies – non-profit organizations with up to 500 employees – that will be able to grow hemp for their members.
As reported by the Reuters agency, consuming marijuana in public will remain an illegal activity in Malta, and those who do so in the presence of children will face a fine of 300-500 euros. “We convince people not to use cannabis, but at the same time we will not treat those who do as criminals. Drug trafficking will remain illegal,” said Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela during a parliamentary debate in November. “The goal of this law is to solve the problem and reduce the harm by regulating this sector so that people don’t have to look for cannabis on the black market,” the Prime Minister explained.
He also said that he wanted to “protect parents from the psychological trauma that occurs when their child is arrested for smoking marijuana. The idea of legalizing marijuana was heavily criticized by the right-wing opposition in the Maltese parliament, medical associations, and the church. However, the government rejected their claims that the new law would increase the number of drug addicts in Malta.
“The government in no way encourages adults to use cannabis and does not promote the culture of marijuana use. The government always urges citizens to make the choice for their health,” wrote Equality Minister Owen Bonnici, one of the initiators of the new law, in his column in the Sunday Times of Malta on Sunday.
In Europe, there are a number of countries that have a tolerant attitude towards the use of marijuana or are ready to abolish punishments for it, but Malta became the first European country to legalize both personal use and cultivation. In the Czech Republic and Portugal, as the AFP agency recalls, personal use is decriminalized; in the Netherlands and Spain, it is deliberately overlooked, although formally it remains illegal; the authorities of Luxembourg plan to legalize marijuana, and the new German government promises to do the same.