The bill which will legalise up to seven grammes of cannabis for personal use without risk of arrest will continue on to its third reading and final vote, as the government rejected any calls for major amendments from the Opposition and NGOs.

One of the suggested recommendations made by PN, NGOs Caritas, Oasi Foundation and the Secretariat for Catholic Education was to introduce a cap of the percentage of THC, the substance which creates cannabis' effect on the individual. Another suggestion included lowering the limit of legal possession below seven grams. Extending the amount that would bring a person before a tribunal was also suggested.

The Opposition MPs called for additional appropriate qualifications from the people to lead the new authority on regulating cannabis use.

The main concern from the Opposition is that the new Authority's educational campaign's focus will be on defining responsible drug use, rather than discouraging people from resorting to drug use. Caritas Director Anthony Gatt insisted that there should be more emphasis on personal use, rather than responsible use, which may give off the impression that the government is condoning cannabis and drug use.

Ian Mifsud, from the Secretariat for Catholic Education said that while not everyone who makes use of cannabis resorts to hard drugs, the chance is certainly greater, and all those who had a run in with hard drugs have made use of cannabis.

Minister Owen Bonnici further explained that the government is not encouraging drug use, but simply ensuring that individuals who make personal use of cannabis are not criminalised. Bonnici emphasized that by introducing a cap on the level of THC in the cannabis provided by the authority, then it will encourage people to resort to drug traffickers to obtain the substance.

Bonnici also mentioned the law that will expunge the criminal records of those who suffered punishment for the possession of cannabis for personal use, which both the opposition MPs and NGOs welcomed.