Decriminalise adult cultivation of cannabis with clear rules, ReLeaf says
Half-baked law on cultivation of cannabis plant has produced confusion over sentencing of people cultivating at home
11 December 2020, 8:30am
by Matthew Vella
ReLeaf wants adults to be allowed to home-grow cannabis or set up a cannabis ‘social club’ for its consumption, instead of allowing the price and quality of cannabis to be controlled by a criminal market
The cannabis legalisation platform ReLeaf Malta has reiterated a call for the full decriminalisation of adult cultivation of cannabis by 2021.
The cannabis law reform group said the Maltese government should prioritise the right to health and privacy for cannabis consumers, with full decriminalisation of adult consumption, ensuring no more persons go through the harrowing experience of the criminal justice system.
The NGO questioned “incongruous” court judgments, referring to instances where cannabis consumers were given harsh sentences whereas in other cases the court had ruled that over 100g of cannabis were considered an amount for personal use.
Releaf said “the use and sale of cannabis is clearly up and running irrespective of its legal status”.
In light of this, the fact that authorities continue to prosecute consumers and growers points to a failure in “enacting legislation aimed to promote a more humane and evidence-based approach.”
Referring to the National Drug Report of 2019, Releaf said the majority of cases in the criminal court decided in 2016 were attributed to the possession of cannabis, in spite of the legal amendments of the Drug Dependence (Treatment not Imprisonment) Act of 2014.