The parliament of Malta is expected to legalise marijuana this week. It would make the Mediterranean island country the first in the EU to allow growing and having the narcotic substance, British news portal The Guardian reports.
Maltese Minister for Equality, Research and Innovation Owen Bonnici explained to The Guardian that a vote in favour of the legislation in the Maltese parliament on Tuesday will be followed by the law being signed by the president in order for it to be enacted by the weekend.
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The proposed amendments to laws set forth to allow the possession of up to seven grams of the drug will be legal for those aged 18 and above, and it will permissible to grow up to four cannabis plants at home, with up to 50 grams of the dried leaves storable.
The decisions by Malta, the EU’s smallest member state, are likely to be followed by reform across the EU in 2022. Germany recently announced a move to establish a legally regulated market, following announcements from the governments of Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. A referendum in Italy is planned, while Canada, Mexico and 18 US states have already enacted similar legislation, The Guardian reports.
Malta planning to become first in EU to legalise marijuana
