Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1439469
The reform upholds the dignity of those adults who choose to make personal use of cannabis, while reducing the social stigma and suffering of those who have gone through judicial proceedings on possession of small amounts. The legisative changes protect minors, health and public order, and substantially reduce cannabis users' dependence on organized crime. WHAT CHANGES WILL THE REFORM BRING? POSSESSION & CONSUMPTION 1. Possession of cannabis up to 7 grams for personal use by a person who is 18 years or older shall not be an offence any more, and shall not give rise to any confiscation, arrest, proceedings, or fine. 2. Possession of cannabis in the amount between 7 and 28 grams gives rise to confiscation, administrative proceedings before the Commissioner of Justice, and a penalty of between fifty (50) and one hundred (100) euro and the confiscation of the cannabis. 3. Consumption of cannabis in public (except for medical purposes), gives rise to proceedings before the Commissioner for Justice and a penalty of 235 euros. Consumption of cannabis before minors raises the penalty to between 300 and 500 euros. 4. Possession of any amount of cannabis under 28 grams by a person under the age of 18 leads to that person appearing before the Commissioner of Justice in order to recommend a treatment pan to him/her. 5. All this applies where the Police do not have a reasonable suspicion of drug trafficking. CULTIVATION 6. The cultivation of a maximum of 4 cannabis pants in one's residence will be allowed, regardless of the number of residents, as long as the pants are not be visible from other paces. 7. In addition to pants, a maximum of fifty grams of dried cannabis may also be allowed in the same residence. ASSOCIATIONS 8. Growers' associations will be permitted to be set up in order to distribute cannabis to their members. These organizations cannot work for profit. 9. Each organization will have a limit of 500 members, all of whom must be over 18 years of age. 10. The amount of cannabis that may be distributed to each member shall not exceed 7 grams per day, up to a maximum of 50 grams per month. Up to 20 seeds of the cannabis pant may also be distributed to each member per month. 11. At its premises, the organization may not have more than 500 grams of dried cannabis, and such premises have to be situated 250 meters or further from a school, club or youth center. 12. No such outlet may have any cannabis-reated advertising. 13. No such outlet can cause disturbance to the locality where it is located. REGULATION AND CONTROL 14. The Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis, will be set up in order to reguate the sector. 15. Organizations must be registered and licensed by the Authority, and must follow all its aws, rules and orders. 16. The Authority also carries out checks on the quantity and quality of cannabis being distributed. 17. The Authority will also be aunching programs and strategies reated to prevention and harm reduction. DEFINITION OF CANNABIS 18. The new definition of "cannabis" will be specifically referring to the flowering and leaf of any pant of the genus Cannabis and includes any resin of the same pant and any preparation derived from the same pant, but does not include its seeds, or any cannabinoid products not containing more than zero point two (0.2) percent tetrahydrocannabinoyl (THC). ". CONDUCT CERTIFICATE 19. A person convicted in the past of a criminal offense that is now being decriminalized will be able to remove the sentence from his or her conduct certificate by means of a written request. THE CANNABIS REFORM: RESPONSIBLE PERSONAL USE ugwaljanza CM MY CY CMY Cannabis EN Final.pdf 1 20/12/2021 13:26