Following the presentation to Parliament of a petition signed by 56 constituted bodies, organisations and individuals proposing a number of amendments to the cannabis reform Bill, the general public now has the opportunity to sign a petition directly online through the Parliament website, the organisations have said.
The petition may be signed by accessing the following link: https://parlament.mt/en/petition?id=146
"The petition will remain open till Sunday 12 December at 12 p.m. We are sending a strong appeal to all persons of good will to support the 6 reasonable and balanced amendments being proposed by signing the petition."
Bill 241 entitled "Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis" in its present form will establish a weak regulatory framework which risks leaving a massive negative impact on our society, especially among children, youths and the most vulnerable, the organisations said.
"The 6 amendments aim to strengthen the law by offering greater safeguards and protection to those who will be impacted most negatively by it."
The petition asks Parliament to amend the prosed bill by changing six aspects of the law. "The aim is to create a stronger regulatory framework and mitigate the possible risks to society this law may bring about. The six points being proposed are the following:
- increase the age when consuming cannabis would be made legal through the Bill from 18 to 25;
- increase the distance of cannabis clubs from schools, youth centres and post-secondary institutions from a mere 250 metres to 1 kilometre;
- double the fines for smoking cannabis in front of children and in public;
- remove the possibility allowed in the law for cannabis to be grown in residences adjacent to schools;
- regulate the amount of THC allowed in cannabis;
- remove the reference to educational campaigns mentioned in the Bill to retain clearly the present situation whereby Government campaigns on drug use focus exclusively on prevention measures explaining the risks of cannabis use.
The following organisations and individuals are presenting the petition:
1. Caritas Malta
2. OASI Foundation
3. Malta Employers' Association (MEA)
4. Malta Chamber of Commerce and Industry
5. Medical Association of Malta (MAM)
6. Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN)
7. Malta Chamber of Pharmacists
8. Gozo Business Chamber
9. Malta Association of Social Workers
10. Malta Association of Psychiatry
11. Secretariat for Catholic Education (SfCE)
12. Church Schools' Association
13. Gozo Tourism Association
14. Richmond Foundation
15. ISA - Independent Schools Association
16. MUBE
17. Catholic Voices
18. Zghazagh Azzjoni Kattolika ZAK
19. Azzjoni Kattolika
20. Malta Girl Guides
21. Home Away from Home
22. National Foster Care Association Malta
23. National Parents Society for Persons with Disability
24. St Jeanne Antide Foundation
25. Paolo Freire Institute
26. Millennium Chapel
27. SOS Malta
28. Dar Merhba Bik
29. Youth Alive Foundation
30. Social Assistance Secretariat
31. Kummissjoni Djocesana Djakonija
32. Dar tal-Providenza
33. Society St Vincent De Paule
34. Church Homes for the Elderly
35. Ufficcju Hidma Pastorali mal-Persuni Separati
36. Mater Dei and Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre Chaplains
37. RISE Foundation
38. Dar Hosea
39. Peace and Good Foundation
40. Migrants Commission
41. Kummissjoni Gustizzja u Paci
42. Osanna Pia Foundation
43. Fondazzjoni Sebħ
44. Life Network Foundation
45. Karl Vella Foundation
46. Malta CAN (Children's Associations Network)
47. National Association of Pensioners
48. H.E. President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca
49. Professor Andrew Azzopardi, Dean, Faculty of Social Wellbeing, UoM
50. Dr Claire Azzopardi Lane, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Social Wellbeing, UoM
51. Dr Colin Calleja, Dean, Faculty of Education, UoM
52. Dr Michelle Attard Tonna, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Education, UoM
53. Dr Sandra Scicluna, Head, Department of Criminology, Faculty for Social Wellbeing UoM
54. Georgina Debattista, Visiting Senior Lecturer, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, UoM
55. Max Cassar, Department of Psychology, UoM
56. Angela Caruana - Children's Rights Activist