Malta has become the first European country to legalise weed.
The new bill, which was approved by 36 votes to seven in parliament on Tuesday, will allow limited cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use.
Adults will be allowed to possess up to seven grams of cannabis and will also be able to grow up to four plants of their own. With the new bill being promoted by Equality Minister Owen Bonnici, he said that Malta has adopted a “harm-reduction approach” with the establishment of an authority to regulate the sale of cannabis for personal use by adults from non-profit associations.
Smoking outside will still be against the law, however. As well as this, it’s also illegal for anyone to smoke weed in front of a child. If someone is found doing this, they could be fined between €300-€500 (£255-£425).
The legislation was rushed through parliament after a heap of fierce criticism was given from the centre-right opposition, medical associations, and the church, all of which complained about their requests to water down the proposals being ignored.
Malta is also seeking to position itself as a European leader in the production of medical cannabis after they approved the production in 2018 for medicinal and research purposes. Luxembourg had announced similar plans back in October, however its parliament has yet to give the official green light to measure.
