Marijuana Moment
By Felipe Neis Araujo, Filter
In late 2021, Malta became the first European country to legalize marijuana possession for adult use. Anyone over 18 could keep up to seven grams on their person and up to 50 grams at home, plus grow up to four plants. The act also established a regulatory framework that included cultivation and distribution by licensed nonprofits known as Cannabis Harm Reduction Associations (CHRAs).
Portugal and other countries had decriminalized personal possession, but it was still a civil violation. Malta’s reform was praised as a pragmatic, public health‑oriented pivot that would siphon revenue away from drug-trafficking groups and spare people the burden of a criminal-legal record. Public consumption remained banned, but people could smoke cannabis at home.
Four years later, the island nation’s governing Labour Party has changed its tune.
Read more
