Last week President George Vella signed a law legalising cannabis for recreational use, in spite of protestations by a number of NGOs and the medical professionals who expressed their concern, the same concern that Vella himself had spoken about just two years ago.

It was in June 2019 that President Vella made public his serious doubts about legalising cannabis for recreational use, but despite these reservations, the President last week signed the law making recreational use of cannabis legal.

President Vella’s signing, which was held a day after he said he had his hands tied, was the last hurdle in a process that saw the government ploughing on to enact the law in spite of protests from nearly 60 NGOs and the Opposition.

As some criticised Vella’s signing in legalising the cannabis law, the President argued that in no way can he, under Malta’s system, impose his decision on those representing the people in parliament, whether he agrees with it or not. Vella publicly said that the president does not have the power to ignore a law passed democratically by parliament, unless a moral obligation forced him to quit.

The concern expressed by the President two years ago was apparently not enough to stop him from signing the law.

In a conference organised by the Oasi Foundation which was held in June 2019 (see footage below, screen recorded from MaltaToday), the President gave his closing speech about drugs and mental health, highlighting his reservations about the extent to which the legal use of cannabis should be extended beyond the grounds of treatment.

“Both as a doctor and father I have major reservations on how wise it is to extend the legalisation of cannabis that goes beyond its medical usage,” President Vella had said.

Vella had also stressed that discussions on any possible legalisation of recreational cannabis should be relied on the advice of experts in the field. Many experts, including organisations who have worked with addicts for years, spoke about the harm caused by cannabis, but the President still chose to sign the law.

Medical experts and unions including psychiatrists, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) as well as the Medical Association of Malta spoke out against the new cannabis law, arguing that there is no such thing as responsible cannabis, only a drug that causes harm to people’s health.

Prior to Vella’s signing, the MUMN had also urged the President not to endorse the new cannabis law until safeguards for patients and elderly people are included, saying that complications arise in the form of doctors or nurses who could be under the influence of cannabis at work.

The legalisation of cannabis for recreational and personal use allows citizens to carry up to 7 grams of cannabis without any risk of being prosecuted. Anyone that previously had a criminal offense related to cannabis can now also apply to have their criminal records erased.