The decision by Malta, the EU`s smallest member state, is expected to be followed by reforms across Europe in 2022. Germany recently announced its intention to establish a legally regulated market following the announcement by the governments of Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. A referendum is planned in Italy, Canada, Mexico and 18 US states have already passed similar laws. Earlier this week, ReLeaf Malta, in collaboration with a local NGO, presented a research policy paper to the Authority`s Chair, discussing the importance of integrating strong considerations of social justice and sustainable environmental practices into the development of the legal framework for cannabis use. Malta has been rocked by the arrest of a local doctor, Andrew Agius, for distributing cannabis, just months after the island became the first in Europe to legalise the drug. This made Malta the third country in the world to fully legalize marijuana, after Uruguay in 2013 and Canada in 2018. Other countries have legalized the possession and use of marijuana, such as Georgia and South Africa, but there is no legal distribution system, unlike Malta. Malta, a small Mediterranean nation, has just become the first European country to fully legalize marijuana. This was done by an Act of Parliament at the end of 2021, opening the door to cannabis legalisation for the rest of the European Union. As of December 2021, all legal cannabis options were located in America, primarily in North America. Now that it has crossed the EU border, other member states will be forced to act quickly, whether by agreeing to reforms or doubling down on repression.
Just as U.S. states that have banned cannabis have seen their residents cross state borders and return home with their bags full of legal weed purchased in states that have legalized it, European countries will not be able to ignore the reality of cannabis` popularity. Bonnici has stated that his government does not want to encourage recreational drug use, but there is no evidence to support the argument that cannabis use per se is a gateway to harder substances. The Netherlands is perhaps the European country most associated with a relaxed attitude towards cannabis use. However, possession and trade are technically illegal. Instead, the government has a Gedoogbeleid, a « policy of tolerance » in which use is largely limited. A study is planned in which the production of the drug will be regulated. After half a century of repression, marijuana seems to be on the verge of being completely reformed throughout the European Union. Due to the free movement of goods and people, any citizen of an EU Member State can now legally buy weed in Malta, which changes the rules of the game for neighbouring countries, which are now under pressure to react. Malta has wrested the title of third country with legal marijuana under the noses of several other European countries.
The new German government has promised to legalize it completely in the near future; Luxembourg must legalise it by mid-2022; Italy is preparing for a referendum to legalize the possession and cultivation of cannabis. Outside of Europe, Mexico is under its Supreme Court order to legalize recreational marijuana, though the country`s lawmakers have delayed their feet, allowing Malta and perhaps other countries to make history in their place. For decades, the European Union has relied on the Netherlands` policy of tolerating the (absolutely illegal) use of marijuana in its famous cafes, making Amsterdam one of the most attractive destinations on the continent. Now that a country is actually offering legal weed, rather than promising that the police will turn a blind eye, up to $10 billion in annual tourism revenue must be diverted from Amsterdam to Malta and to any country that follows the smaller EU member in legalizing marijuana for adults. The Netherlands itself may need to revise its national cannabis policy to remain relevant. 14. In December 2021, recreational cannabis was partially legalized. In Malta, it is now legal to transport up to 7g of cannabis and each household is allowed to grow up to 4 plants. It is also legal to form cannabis associations known as Cannabis Social Clubs, which can grow cannabis for distribution to members, up to a maximum of 7g per day and 50g per month.
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