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View all Cannabis and cannabinoids in Malta
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Daily news alerts
Daily regulatory updates of legal changes in the cannabis sector, including monthly compilations
27th November 2023
Malta: While commenting on the news that the government is considering stopping smoking for future generations, a group of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and associations have reportedly called on the government to enact additional measures, such as stopping self-cultivation of cannabis, so children who live with parents who cultivate cannabis are protected.24th October 2023
- Malta: The Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC), in charge of granting licences to cannabis harm-reduction associations, has awarded its first-ever operational licences to two associations, press reports. These associations will now be allowed to start cultivating their own cannabis, which they can distribute to their members after it has been tested by the ARUC.
13th September 2023
- Malta: In a webinar held today (13th September) by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) on selected countries’ experiences with cannabis regulation, executive chairperson of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) Leonid McKay said that Malta’s first cannabis harm-reduction associations will be operational by the end of this year. McKay emphasised during the webinar that the focus of the country's cannabis regulation is public health and harm reduction, rather than perceiving cannabis as an economic commodity. He said that a commercial scheme around recreational cannabis would run counter to the harm-reduction concept.
11th August 2023
- Malta: Leonid McKay, the executive chairperson of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC), has confirmed that the ARUC has granted its first two "in-principle" licences to prospective cannabis associations. These licences approve the proposed operational setup, meaning that they allow the start of the construction of growing facilities, but do not allow growing to take place. Growing would be allowed once an operating permit is granted following further inspections by the ARUC.
19th July 2023
Malta: Cannabis harm-reduction associations, which will be allowed to grow cannabis and distribute it to their members, could be up and running by the end of March 2024, press reports. Leonid Mckay, CEO of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC), said last month that the authority had received 26 applications for the licensing of cannabis clubs.
29th June 2023
Malta: The Ministry of Social Policy and Children’s Rights has launched a National Drugs Policy covering the decade 2023-2033. The paper proposes a zero tolerance policy towards drug users, recommending random drug testing for all drivers, including testing for cannabis. Malta decriminalised recreational cannabis in December 2021.
9th June 2023
- Malta: At a press conference held yesterday, the CEO of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC), Leonid Mckay, said that the authority has received 26 applications for the licensing of cannabis clubs, though he added that this does not mean that all applications will be accepted, press reports. Mckay also warned that the commercialisation of cannabis is as dangerous as the illegal market, explaining that harm reduction must be put at the centre of the cannabis clubs' policies, while cannabis use must not be promoted.
30th May 2023
Malta: Following feedback obtained in its stakeholder consultation, the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis has updated some of the regulatory framework for nonprofit associations distributing cannabis for recreational purposes, as provided in the legislative reforms enacted in December 2021. The new rules fine-tune the licence application format, the transportation of cannabis between cultivation and distribution sites, the disposal of waste and the testing of cannabis.
13th March 2023
- Malta: The Responsible Use of Cannabis (Licensing of Organisations) Regulations, 2023 were published in the Official Gazette on 10th March. The regulations further develop the provisions to set up cannabis harm-reduction associations (nonprofit organisations that will be allowed to grow cannabis and distribute it to their members), legally underpinning all the guidelines that have been issued by the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis.
3rd March 2023
- Malta: The application process to establish cannabis harm-reduction associations (nonprofit organisations that will be allowed to grow cannabis and distribute it to their members) got underway on 28th February. In the wake of that, the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis has issued guidelines for the application process, technical standards for the operation of these organisations, and a directive for harm-reduction practices.
28th February 2023
Malta: The Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis is starting today to accept applications for the establishment of cannabis harm-reduction associations, nonprofit organisations that will be allowed to grow cannabis and distribute it to members. Applications must follow guidelines published by the authority earlier this month.
Regulatory reports
Comprehensive legal reports outlining how the sector is regulated, interpretation of the laws and relevant bodies
Regulatory databases
Regularly updated global regulations currently in place, compiled into easy-to-read maps and tables
