PN reiterates stand in favour of decriminalising cannabis possession

The Nationalist Party was non-committal on the cannabis reform proposed by government but reiterated its stand in favour of cannabis decriminalisation.

The PN said on Thursday it is discussing cannabis in a focus group set up for the purpose and will continue consulting with stakeholders.

It was reacting to the White Paper unveiled on Tuesday by Prime Minister Robert Abela in which government is proposing the legal possession of up to 7g of cannabis and the cultivation of up to four plants at home.

“The PN had already announced it is in favour of decriminalising the possession of cannabis for responsible personal use and the law will have to address the social impact and provide the necessary safeguards against abuse,” the PN said.

This follows the stand adopted by the party in 2015.

Drug rehab groups, Caritas and the Oasi Foundation, have warned the reform normalises cannabis and risks creating more harm to society.

The reform was welcomed by Releaf Malta, a pro-cannabis organisation, which described the move as a "bold step to promote human rights and public health through concrete policy and legislative changes that focus on the private adult cultivation and consumption of cannabis".