05/24/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/25/2021 17:28
Continuing 2021 Session, Non-Governmental Organizations Committee Recommends 12 Entities for Special Consultative Status, Defers Action on 35 Others
Continuing its 2021 regular session, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended 12 organizations for special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and deferred action on the status of 35 others.
The 19-member Committee considers applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification submitted by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Once an application has been reviewed and approved by the Committee, it is considered recommended for consultative status. Organizations which were granted general and special status can attend meetings of the Council and issue statements, while those with general status can also speak during meetings and propose agenda items. Organizations with roster status can only attend mee
A cannabis reform advocacy group has welcomed government plans to fully decriminalise the drug while urging it tweak its proposals to allow cannabis to consumed in public in adult-only settings.
In a position paper submitted to the government as part of a public consultation process, Releaf said the plans were an innovative initial approach to move towards a more humane, just and inclusive Maltese society.
The government white paper proposes to fully decriminalise cannabis when possesed in small quantities for recreational use, allow users to grow up to four cannabis plants in a concealed environment within their own homes and to wipe clean the criminal records of people with cannabis possession convictions.
Supply pushes cocaine price down, as heroin users grow older
A national study on drugs finds heroin users are getting older, with the majority seeking rehabilitation
12 March 2021, 6:27am
by Karl Azzopardi
The study estimates Malta has an average 1,049 daily opiate users, down from 1,161 in 2018 – again a sign of the downward trend in the drug’s usage
Heroin users in Malta are getting older and are the major demographic of problem drug users seeking rehabilitation services, a national drug situation report released this week shows.
The highly addictive drug has one of the lowest usages among the adult population, but users of the drug are the majority of cases admitted for detox programmes. Of the 1,943 people who sought treatment for their addiction, 1,126 were heroin users.
[WATCH] Malta drug report: Cannabis, cocaine usage up, decrease in heroin users
Social Solidarity Minister Michael Falzon says government is looking at a harm reduction approach in a White Paper on cannabis regularisation
5 March 2021, 11:49am
by Karl Azzopardi
The use of cannabis and cocaine in Malta has increased, while the abuse of heroin has gone down, a report published on Friday shows.
The statistics form part of the National Report on the Drug Situation in Malta for the year 2020.
Cannabis is the most frequently seized drug by the police, with the substance being the only illicit drug known to be produced in the country. Resin is also imported from Morocco via Tunisia and Libya.
Demand for drugs remained "very strong" despite a drop in supply throughout the pandemic, according to a report on drug use in Malta. 
The National Report