Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1489264
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 JANUARY 2023 OPINION 10 Andrew Bonello & Oscar Pares OPINION Why bottom-up approach is necessary for not-for-profit cannabis associations PEOPLE who use cannabis have been cooperating in an infor- mal approach for decades. From helping each other out to source and share good quality canna- bis, to imparting tips what to do when experiencing unwanted effects. From shared warnings that law enforcement agents are raiding streets and neighbourhoods, to shared tears for friends in- carcerated for a non-violent crime. This has been the reali- ty faced by thousands of young and old, living in a somewhat parallel existence, or double life. This cooperative approach provided users with a safety net and an important hub where to exchange information and seek help when needed. As Malta nears its one-year anniversary since enacting leg- islative changes allowing the limited possession and cultiva- tion of cannabis, various ques- tions continue to overshadow this important reform. Primar- ily, is the why and how not for profit cannabis associations will be established in the com- ing (one hopes) months. Why? In the joint policy doc- ument by ReLeaf Malta and Moviment Graffitti titled A social equity approach for co- operative and environmentally sustainable practices within Maltese cannabis associations and presented to the Author- ity for the Responsible Use of Cannabis in April 2022, it was reaffirmed that the voice of the cannabis community is imper- ative to ensure parameters are built by and for their well-be- ing. Nothing about us, without us! The act of sharing canna- bis (via smoking or via other means) and of meeting in a group of friends to share a com- mon interest, is a strong harm reduction tool, and one which favours a collective and a com- munity, as opposed a moralistic approach to the use of mind-al- tering substances. As has been attested by various experts in the field of health and well-be- ing, the act of consuming in a group and of sharing a set of norms, act as protective fac- tors against the development of problematic use or other unwanted behaviour. The 'safe space' environment is there- fore not limited to the physical parameters of where cannabis is being consumed, but is also directly linked to other third variables, such as the role of the community and friends to promote responsible practic- es (Belackova et al., 2015). In other words, social isolation increases the risks associated with consumption. How? A Cannabis Social Club (CSC), or a not-for-prof- it Cannabis Association, is a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) constitut- ed by people of legal age who want to consume and culti- vate cannabis together without the need to resort to the illicit market. Founded on the core principles governing an NGO, a cannabis social club aims to promote the well-being of the members through different health, social and legal tools, yet does not promote or mar- ket the use of cannabis. The CSC model is a bot- tom-up approach spearheaded by civil society organisations denouncing the injustices suf- fered under the persistent pro- hibitionist regimes and advocating for the protec- tion of human rights for peo- ple who use cannabis. CSC are constituted by users who explicitly want to stop supply- ing from the illicit market in order to reduce its associated risk. For more than 20 years, cannabis consumers, research- ers, and human rights activ- ists have been advancing dif- ferent self-regulatory models in full view of alternatives to incarceration permitted with- in international drug control conventions and national legis- lation advancing public health and human rights. People in Spain, UK, Uruguay and Belgium, amongst others, have been at the forefront in demonstrating how a commu- nity-based approach to canna- bis consumption in society is advantageous to the whole of society. Concretely, in Spain, more than 1.200 CSC's open their doors every day. Nonethe- less, unfortunately, within the Spanish State there has never been a specific regulation gov- erning the activity of the CSCs. In fact, although different mu- nicipalities or autonomous re- gions have tried on multiple attempts to regulate cannabis social clubs, there continues to be a lack of political will at fed- eral level to reach a consensus on their regulation. Pertaining to the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies' Code of Con- duct for European Cannabis Social Clubs, the 5 basic prin- ciples of a CSC should revolve on the key shared values of ensuring: supply follows de- mand, non-profit, transparen- cy, health oriented and open to dialogue with authorities. Therefore, under this model, a cannabis social club starts with it being founded with at least 3 people and recorded in the registry of non-governmen- tal-organisations. Next, canna- bis consumers who wish to join this collective approach to the cultivation and consumption of cannabis apply to become members. The club rents land, build- ings, equipment and all that is necessary to cultivate and lat- er distribute the harvest. The calculation of how much is cul- Andrew Bonello is president of ReLeaf Malta, Oscar Pares is a director at ICEERS Foundation