1. Cannabis social clubs open in Malta
Short political history of Malta:
The Republic of Malta is an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, located approximately 90 km south of Sicily, 300 km east of Tunisia and 350 km north of Libya. This strategic location has made Malta a sought-after destination over the centuries. The historical sites in Malta bear witness to the conquests of the Romans, Moors, the Knights of Malta, the French and the British. In 1947, Malta was given the status of a self-governing British crown colony and the first elections took place. In 1964, Malta gained independence as a parliamentary democracy, but remained a member of the Commonwealth. Only since the proclamation of the republic in 1974 has the head of the British royal family no longer been Malta's head of state. The three inhabited main islands cover around 300 km² and are home to half a million inhabitants. The official languages are Maltese and English. Malta joined the European Union in 2004 and changed its currency from the Maltese lira to the euro in 2008. The island state has since developed into an important financial and tourism center in the Mediterranean and the EU.
Malta is a signatory to the Schengen Agreement and international drug control treaties, in particular the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988. In addition to the EU Framework Decision 2004, these are the hurdles that also slow down other EU countries in regulating the trade in cannabis. [1] As in Germany and the Czech Republic, work was carried out as a temporary solution to regulate home cultivation and collective production and distribution in social clubs.
About the Cannabis Social Clubs in Malta:
More than two years after the law was passed [2], the first licenses for cannabis social clubs in Malta were issued by the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) in August and October 2023.
The clubs are called the Cannabis Harm Reduction Association (CHRA).
So far, 6 clubs have a license and have started growing cannabis. [3] The first of these clubs, the “KDD Society” in Attard, was now finished with the harvest and opened its doors to members on Saturday, January 27, 2024, which, according to the operators, was immediately used by 150 members.
According to its own information, the club currently offers five types of cannabis with a THC content of 11 to 17 percent.
According to the agency, the first 200 plants harvested successfully passed all mandatory ARUC laboratory tests.
Testing included Phytocannabinoid Profile, Micro-organism Analyte, Bacteria, Yeast and Mold Count, Mycotoxins, Trace / Heavy Metal Analyte, Water Activity and Moisture Content and Filth and Foreign Material, further ensuring cannabis cultivated and distributed within Cannabis Harm Reduction Associations are free from unwanted contaminants. [4] Members are now allowed to purchase up to 7 grams per day and a maximum of 50 grams per month. The ARUC's further and exact requirements for the CHRA can be found in the “Licensing Guidelines” and the “Update on the Regulatory Framework”. [5] Who don't wants to join a club, can also legally grow 4 plants at home, the regulation of cultivation for personal use can be read on page 43 of the law.
[2] THE QUESTION IS NO LONGER IF WE SHOULD END THE WAR ON DRUGS BUT HOW WE DO IT! (ARUC)
[1] https://verfassungsblog.de/tag/cannabislegalisierung/
[1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/?uri=celex:32004F0757
[1] https://healthservices.gov.mt/en/Pharmaceutical-Unit/Pages/controlled-substances.aspx
[1] https://healthservices.gov.mt/en/Pharmaceutical-Unit/Pages/medical-cannabinoids-information.aspx
[2] https://parlament.mt/media/115003/act-lxvi-cannabis.pdf
[3] https://aruc.mt/
[3] https://mhascms.gov.mt/en/MHAS-Departments/Pages/Authority-on-the-Responsible-Use-of- Cannabis.aspx
[4] https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/127286/first_cannabis_association_begins_operating
[5] https://aruc.mt/licensing-guidelines-2/
[5] https://aruc.mt/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Update-on-the-Regulatory-Framework.pdf