CannIntelligence.com provides independent, in-depth regulatory and market data and intelligence for the global cannabis and cannabinoid sector.
LATEST ALERTS
View all Cannabis and cannabinoids in Malta
New trial available: Click on any alert below and access our regulatory alerts and get timely notifications sent to your inbox for 7 days.
Daily news alerts
Daily regulatory updates of legal changes in the cannabis sector, including monthly compilations
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.
13th February 2023
- Malta: The Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) published official guidelines last week about the licensing process to establish nonprofit cannabis clubs – known as “cannabis harm reduction associations” – after the event that the authority held on the subject. Following industry concerns, head of the ARUC Leonid McKay said that the annual licence fee for these cannabis associations will be slashed from €8,000 to €1,000 for at least two years.
30th January 2023
- Malta: The Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) held an event on 27th January, outlining the procedure that will need to be followed in order to obtain a licence to establish non-profit cannabis clubs. These cannabis clubs will be allowed to grow cannabis and distribute it to members. Applicants will be able to start the licensing procedure from 28th February 2023, which will be subject to a set of standards relating to operations, cultivation, sampling, testing, packaging and labelling. Licences will be valid for a period of one year, renewable for three years, and clubs will not be able to advertise their services. Regulations setting out the licensing process are expected in the upcoming weeks.
25th November 2022
- Malta: Parliamentary secretary Rebecca Buttigieg said yesterday that the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) will be in a position to start accepting applications for cannabis club licences by February 2023, press reports. These cannabis clubs will be allowed to grow cannabis and distribute it to members. However, skepticism has appeared over whether these cannabis clubs will ever be set up following the appointment of former director of Caritas Malta, Leonid McKay, as head of the ARUC.
11th November 2022
- Malta: The head of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) Mariella Dimech has been let go from her position as executive chairperson, press reports. Dimech said that "Over the last 10 months, I have worked with no functional office, no staff, no budget and a political strategy and decision strategy I disagreed with". The ARUC is responsible for enacting cannabis policies and for issuing licences to cannabis organisations, which would be allowed to cultivate and sell cannabis for recreational purposes. Leonid McKay, former Caritas director and current housing authority chair, will be appointed as the new executive chairman.
4th November 2022
- Malta: During an interview, the president of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC), Mariella Dimech, said that the authority plans to issue the first licences for cannabis organisations "soon, but not before the end of the year", as the authority is still finalising the whole regulatory system. She added that everything will "probably" be postponed to 2023. The ARUC is the responsible institution for enacting cannabis policies and for issuing licences to cannabis organisations, which would be allowed to cultivate and sell cannabis for recreational purposes.
18th July 2022
Europe: A ministerial-level consultation on the legal regulation of cannabis for non-medical and non-scientific use took place on Friday between officials from Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands. A joint statement adopted by all except the Dutch representative says: “a structured multilateral exchange on the vast spectrum of cannabis related issues contributes to sharing knowledge, best practices and experiences and foster finding solutions including possible regulation in order to move forward, as the status quo is not a tenable option.”
18th July 2022
Malta: The period to sign the petition to clarify the legal status of CBD products in light of the Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis Act 2021 ends today, 18th July. The law states that “CBD products” containing less than 0.2% THC are excluded from the definition of cannabis and thus fall outside the scope of the narcotics regime, but confusion over what constitutes “CBD products” was sparked by the case of a doctor wh was accused of trafficking after the police seized cannabis flowers with less than 0.2% THC. Petitioners are also seeking to ensure CBD is considered as a novel food and not as a controlled substance.
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
