Cannabis users should have right to make safe and legal choices, Labour deputy leader

Cannabis users should be free to make their own choices in a secure and legalised environment, Labour Party deputy leader Daniel Micallef said.

Reacting to a series of drug-related police arrests over the weekend, that included a couple that were smoking a joint in a hotel room, Micallef asked for how long will Malta continue burying its head in the sand.

The Labour government has not yet fulfilled an electoral pledge to legalise the recreational use of cannabis. The government has been working on a reform but so far it remains unclear what shape it will take.

READ ALSO: ReLeaf calls on government to decriminalise cannabis cultivation, consumption and sharing

Micallef said in a Facebook post that despite being illegal, cannabis has been used by thousands of people over the years. 

He asked for how long shall Malta continue considering cannabis on the same level as other illegal substances “when we know this is not the case”.

“I never smoked a joint – and even if I did, I will not bother saying so, but I know that in reality, if all regular cannabis users were to congregate, the Floriana granaries will not be enough to hold them – I am speaking on their behalf because I know these people are not criminal, and I believe they should have a right to make their choices in a safe and legal way,” Micallef said.

In a separate Facebook post, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said he will work to ensure that the police act within the spirit of the drug reforms that have been undertaken over past years.

Camilleri added that he also believed in further legal changes to ensure that cases like the one that happened over the weekend will not be possible to happen.

However, he defended police action, insisting they were obliged to act on reports they received.

A survey carried out by MaltaToday in February 2019 found that 32,000 people would have used cannabis but just one in five supported legalisation.