Cannabis smell helpline receives 10 complaints in 10 days
The helpline was part of amendments of the law regulating cannabis use
A helpline for people to report the cannabis smells in their homes caused by neighbours has received 10 complaints in the week and a half since it was launched.
The figure was disclosed by executive chairperson of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) Joey Reno Vella during a news conference on Monday morning.
The helpline is part of a series of amendments – unanimously passed in parliament in May – to laws related to the consumption and cultivation of cannabis.
Vella said the main purpose of the free helpline – 80002088 – was to educate and encourage responsible behaviour, rather than punish immediately.
"If ARUC officers deem the complaint to be justified, the first step is to contact the people creating smells, informing them in a friendly and practical manner of ways to mitigate odours,” Vella said, while emphasising that responsible use of cannabis included respect for others.
Should attempts to resolve a complaint amicably fail, Vella said, ARUC would be bound to file proceedings against persistent offenders in front of the Commissioner for Justice, with offenders facing a fine of €235 - described as a measure of last resort.
Vella encouraged cannabis users seeking clarification about their rights and responsibilities to make use of the helpline.
Junior Minister for Reforms Rebecca Buttigieg said she believed the original law, passed in 2021, had achieved its aim of encouraging responsible consumption.
“Harm reduction is at the core of both the law and the recent amendments. Laws are dynamic and alive and we must update them accordingly,” she said, adding that 3,000 people had joined cannabis clubs over the past four years.
Junior minister for reforms Rebecca Buttigieg said harm reduction was at the core of both the law and the recent amendments. Photo: Jonathan Borg.Buttigieg said fines for cannabis clubs that are caught with minors on their premises will increase tenfold from €1,000 to €10,000.
Other amendments include cannabis clubs being prohibited within 250 metres of sports facilities, as well as schools and youth centres.
The legislation also provides better clarity on what constitutes a psychoactive substance, to prohibit the sale of synthetic and semi-synthetic products, which were not within the scope of the original law’s regulatory framework.
Buttigieg also reiterated a pledge to explore designated public consumption zones.