Updated 11am with police response

An illegal cannabis and psychedelic mushroom-selling operation has announced it is closing after a Times of Malta investigation exposed its activities.

The Klub, which operated on the Telegram messaging app, was delivering its products using couriers dressed as food delivery workers.

Within hours of the story being published, the group’s administrators posted a message to its channel involving around 700 people informing its customers that it would be ceasing operations.

“All good adventures have an end and it is now time for us,” the channel’s administrators said.

“We hope that we will remain in your heart too and in some ways contributed to enjoy your life even more on the beautiful Rock,” they said.

In the message, the group said it had applied for a licence to open a legal cannabis association some time ago and that their intention had always been to open a “fully legit Coffeeshop”.

A screenshot of the group’s announcement posted to their Telegram channel.

They had worked hard to offer their customers the best service, they wrote.

“The journey has been amazing... we deeply want to thank you all,” the administrators said.

Adults can carry up to 7g of cannabis without the risk of arrest and can grow up to four cannabis plants per household, anyone who doesn’t grow the drug at home must buy it from licensed associations. 

While as of June 8 there were  26 applications to open such an enterprise, no licenses have been granted. 

The Klub’s operations had provoked dismay among prospective legal cannabis associations, which are awaiting licenses from the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis to set up shop.

One such applicant told Times of Malta they were frustrated by what appeared to be a lack of enforcement on the issue. 

“It’s frustrating to see the police not taking action against groups like this while, on the other hand, we have an authority that is trying to help establish legal associations,” the applicant said.

On Tuesday, the police responded to questions sent by Times of Malta on Saturday, saying that they had "already been investigating these alleged cases".

The Klub had offered its customers a range of products including different strains of cannabis flower, hash (resin) and cannabis-infused edible products as well as psychedelic mushrooms.

One of these products was delivered by a courier wearing a Bolt Food uniform, Times of Malta established. Bolt has also not responded to questions.

Releaf Malta, which campaigns for the regulation of cannabis, said that though it “doesn’t condone any illegal activity whatsoever, we remind the general public that the community has had to rely on the illicit market for decades”.