The Malta College of Family Doctors (MCFD) said today it understands the need for decriminalization of the possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal use, but it is felt that legalizing its use must be better balanced with the effects of cannabis on users, the protection of younger generations, the expected increase in its overall consumption, and the potential increase in use of other illicit drugs.

Use of cannabis in young brains has more harmful effects, and the risk of dependence and move towards harder illicit drugs is more likely. Therefore, the MCFD proposes a minimum age for legalizing the use of cannabis.

Additionally, cultivation of cannabis plants in homes will inevitably make cannabis products more accessible to minors and the younger generations must be shielded from this risk. The MCFD noted that the White Paper does not elaborate, as it feels is needed, on the use of cannabis by specific categories, amongst them drivers, especially of mass transport, professionals, manual workers, pregnant women, adolescents, and patients with pre-existing mental health issues, including but not limited to schizophrenia.

The MCFD asked for an assessment of the impact on social support services, and on the health services, including but not exclusively the mental health services, with the aim of pre-empting mitigation and adaptation measures for the impacts expected. The MCFD proposes continued support and further investment in effective educational, rehabilitation, support and community outreach services for users, as well as the introduction of new preventive and promotional health services within primary health care.

This includes an increase in educational campaigns targeted at the vulnerable age group in the interest of better mental and physical health of our younger generations and the community overall. And since it is hoped that public campaigns aiming at destigmatization by society of cannabis users leads to better reporting of undesirable effects from individual users, a strengthened structure and process for encouraging seeking help for such effects earlier would be welcome.