NGOs heavily oppose cannabis law amendment

ReLeaf Malta and Moviment Graffitti have voiced their opposition to the recent cannabis law amendments, claiming the changes threaten privacy rights and promote stigma.

In a joint statement, the two organisations argued that the amendments reverse progress made under previous reforms aimed at decriminalising cannabis use and cultivation for personal purposes. They said the new measures fuel fear and uncertainty among consumers and home growers, and risk reintroducing punitive approaches associated with the war on drugs.

On Monday legal amendments to the cannabis law cleared its third reading in parliament. One of the changes includes a €235 fine issued to consumers if smells resulting from the consumption of cannabis cause a nuisance to third parties.

“For a person to live in their own home in fear that ‘the neighbours can smell them’ and that the police might come because they are consuming or cultivating cannabis plants are measures that do no good to society and certainly do not promote the responsible use of cannabis.”

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They also criticised the expanded powers of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC), saying it now regulates commercial entities involved in the sale of cannabinoids,  a move they argue undermines the original harm reduction and not-for-profit principles of the reform.

“This goes beyond what is required by the regulatory framework based on the decriminalisation of the cannabis plant for personal use, and breaks every promise made by this very administration between 2021 and 2025,” said ReLeaf Malta and Moviment Graffitti.

ReLeaf Malta and Moviment Graffitti urged the government to ensure each amendment of the reform remains true to its original principles which respect human rights, harm reduction, and a not-for-profit approach.

“In the case of cannabis users, the right to equality is being violated, and the reform is working against the very people it is supposed to protect-namely, us, the consumers and personal cultivators of cannabis,” the organisations concluded.