VALLETTA: Malta's parliament is set to approve plans to legalise possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal use - a first in Europe, although other countries tolerate it. Adults will be allowed to have up to 7gm of cannabis and grow up to four plants at home for their personal use, under legislation backed by PM Robert Abela's Labour party.
The law also allows for the creation of regulated non-profit associations of up to 500 people each to grow the drug for the exclusive use of its members. "We are legislating to address a problem and taking the harm reduction approach by regulating the sector so that people do not have to resort to the black market to purchase cannabis," Abela said during a parliamentary debate last month.
He said he wanted to maintain a tough stance on dealers but spare parents the "trauma" of their child being arrested and hauled to court over a joint. The move comes just weeks after Luxembourg announced similar proposals. Personal use and growing of cannabis is also tolerated in Spain and in the Netherlands.
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