Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1515242
4 NEWS 4 KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 31 JANUARY 2024 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Authority for the Re- sponsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) said the association, which was granted an op- erating licence in October 2023, has successfully passed all mandatory laboratory testing by ARUC. Testing included Phyto- cannabinoid Profile, Mi- cro-organism Analyte, Bac- teria, Yeast and Mold Count, Mycotoxins, Trace / Heavy Metal Analyte, Water Ac- tivity and Moisture Content and Filth and Foreign Ma- terial, further ensuring can- nabis cultivated and distrib- uted within Cannabis Harm Reduction Associations are free from unwanted contam- inants. Cannabis flowers cultivat- ed, packaged and distributed by CHRAs are identifiable by the unique ARUC Label and Seal. Cannabis Harm Reduc- tion associations are the only regulated entities to cultivate and distribute non-medical cannabis above 0.2% THC. "The Authority for the Re- sponsible Use of Cannabis is pleased that one year after the Convention on Setting the Standards for a not-for- profit Cannabis seed to dis tribution approach, CHRAs have now begun operating in a highly-regulated manner based on a public health and harm reduction approach," the authority said. KDD Society is now fully operational, has begun distributing cannabis to registered adult members THE Chamber of Advocates has called on the Prime Min- ister to refrain from using the Vitals inquiry as a scapegoat to deflect attention from the broader need for procedural reforms. "There is a pressing need to reassess and enhance the over- all system governing inquir- ies, not only in this particu- lar instance. So much so that the government has recently appointed a number of mag- istrates intended to focus on inquiries," the chamber said. The chamber was reacting to comments made by Prime Minister Robert Abela in an interview with broadcaster An- drew Azzopardi last Saturday. During the interview, Abela cast doubts on the Vitals in- quiry, questioning its timing before the European Parlia- ment Elections next June. "Whilst the Chamber of Ad- vocates acknowledges that four and a half years is indeed a considerable duration for an inquiry process to be conclud- ed, one also needs to consider the other matters being han- dled by magistrates as well as the ever-increasing case load. Indeed, it is imperative to rec- ognize that the issues at hand extend beyond the specifics of this case," the chamber said. It said there is a pressing need to reassess and enhance the overall system. It is crucial to refrain from using this case as a scapegoat to deflect attention from the broader need for procedur- al reforms, which lie within the purview of that very enti- ty empowered to enact such changes, led by the Prime Minister who is the individ- ual responsible for making such comments," the cham- ber said. "Moreover, it is par- amount that any discourse surrounding the inquiry pro- cess refrains from engaging in personal attacks against the Judiciary purely to gain polit- ical mileage for an entity or individual." The chamber emphasized the importance of providing a se- rene environment for the Ju- diciary to carry out its duties effectively. "Creating an atmosphere conducive to fair and impar- tial adjudication is essential for maintaining public trust and confidence in the legal system," the statement read. On Monday morning, both the Nationalist Party and NGO Reppublika criticised the PM's comments, saying he has joined former PM Joseph Muscat in undermining the courts. Advocates chamber tells PM to stop using Vitals inquiry as scapegoat for structural shortcomings Prime Minister Robert Abela (Photo: James Bianci/MaltaToday) "It is paramount that any discourse surrounding the inquiry process refrains from engaging in personal attacks against the Judiciary purely to gain political mileage for an entity or individual." Photo: ARUC