Malta: first steps towards the legalization of medical cannabis

The Maltese government has agreed new legislation to improve access to medical cannabis, according to the country's Prime Minister.

The law will have to go to Parliament and be debated by both chambers before it can take effect.

The major change in the future law will be that all doctors will be able to prescribe medical cannabis to their patients. The current law severely restricts prescribing, which is only possible by specialist doctors. In practice, very few Maltese have managed to obtain a prescription.

«The Government has approved amendments to the law to help people suffering from illnesses such as cancer, who until now have had great difficulty getting their hands on medicines made from cannabis extracts,» said Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

He was keen to share his economic vision of a Maltese medical cannabis industry, explaining that Malta should become a European center for the production of cannabis products. He pointed out that this is a discussion taking place all over Europe at the moment, and that companies from all over the world are eyeing Europe to set up subsidiaries here. Malta should, in his words, welcome them «without fear, but with reflection, vision and regulation».

For the moment, the medical products mentioned include oils, syrups or extracts, but not the flower itself. And it's not clear whether cannabis would actually be grown in Malta or not. The island's water resources are particularly limited.

Maltese activist associations have long been calling for this reform, but this is the first time the government has discussed manufacturing cannabis products in Malta.

The Maltese government will now have to discuss medical cannabis in the coming months, before opening the debate on legalizing cannabis for recreational use.