A petition to change the proposed cannabis law will close on Sunday, with NGOs pushing it calling upon the Petitions Committee to meet before Parliament votes on Tuesday.

On Friday, the chairman of the Petitions Committee said it will not be discussed because it has till February before it elapses.

Long-time PL MP Joe Mizzi, who chairs the committee, told PN Whip Robert Cutajar in email correspondence that the petition calling for changes to the laws is open until 5 February 2022, meaning that it cannot be considered by the committee until this date has passed.

In a statement Saturday, the NGOs said the petition will be closing on Sunday, allowing for time for it to be discussed before Parliament’s vote on Tuesday.

A large number (57) of civil entities, organizations and individuals (almost 6,819 so far) are all asking Parliament to amend the draft Bill no. 241, and now that so many citizens have signed our petition, we are formally writing to you so that this same petition (number 46) closes on the 12th December at 11.30pm (23.30), in accordance with guideline 6.1, the NGOs said in their letter.

We also ask that the Petitions Committee convenes as soon as possible to discuss this petition before the final vote is taken in the Chamber of Deputies, in accordance with guideline 7.1. “We are very concerned that not a single amendment proposed by numerous civil entities was accepted at the second phase of the Parliamentary process,” the NGOs said.

Diverse social groups, NGOs who have extensive professional experience in the prevention of drug abuse, psychiatrists, pharmacists, doctors, social workers, The Children’s Commissioner, President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, and so many other organisations and academics have expressed grave concerns about the negative effects of this law.

Thus, we are asking the Committee to accept our request that the draft Bill is discussed further and duly amended before it is presented for the Third Reading and final vote in Parliament, the NGOs said.