Former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has expressed himself against the cannabis bill which is set to be approved this afternoon, saying that he fails to understand how the government had set aside the advice of experts in the field.
Taking to his Facebook page, Gonzi said that he stood fully in agreement with the position of the Nationalist Party and of the organisations and academics who have spoken against the proposed law, which will likely be approved in Parliament today.
“I cannot understand how this government has decided to set aside the advice of all the experts who have spoken against this law,” Gonzi said.
“Neither can I understand how a supposedly socialist government which says it seeks the common good, sets all of this aside and takes this huge risk which will certainly have a hugely negative effect on our whole society, and especially on our children,” the former Prime Minister continued.
He expressed hope that this is not all being done to satisfy the interests of a few who think only about money and not the interests of our children.
If that is the case, he said, even if this law passes, someone has to think about rescinding it as soon as possible through any legitimate channel.
The bill going before parliament would make Malta the first country in Europe to legalise the drug’s cultivation and consumption for personal use.
The bill will allow anybody over the age of 18 to legally be in possession of up to 7g of cannabis and also allow them to grow up to four plants at home.
Consuming cannabis in public however would lead to a €235 fine, while consuming the drug in front of a child, whether in public or private, would result in a heftier fine which can range from €300 to €500.
The bill also provides for the setting up of regulated non-profit clubs, which can grow cannabis and sell it to its registered members, with the number of the said members in each club not allowed to exceed 500 people.
A petition which was fronted by over 50 organisations and academics calling for sweeping changes to the bill will not be discussed prior to Parliament’s all-important vote on Tuesday afternoon.