The support to ban cannabis in Malta has increased since a law regulating the drug was introduced in 2021, a survey showed.

Nearly half the Maltese population, 46 per cent, believes that cannabis should be banned. This marks an eight percentage point increase compared to 2021, before the new rules were introduced.

This information was revealed from a Eurobarometer survey measuring the impact of drugs on local communities. Carried out through phone interviews in September, the survey includes the answers of 503 Maltese participants.

The survey also indicates a slight decrease in people who admitted to smoking cannabis. In the past year, four per cent of respondents admitted to smoking cannabis, whilst in 2021 seven per cent of people admitted to this. Although it may suggest that fewer people have smoked cannabis the difference of 3 percentage points falls within the margin of error of 4.4 per cent.

As the support to ban cannabis increased, the desire for regulation has also gone down since 2021. It now accounts for 50 per cent of the population, which is 10 percentage points less than the 2021 figures.

In December 2021, a law was passed through parliament that allowed adults to carry up to seven grams of cannabis, to cultivate cannabis plants for personal use, and it opened the door for the introduction of cannabis clubs.

Despite the introduction of cannabis clubs, 34 per cent of people said they find it very difficult to obtain cannabis in 24 hours; this is a seven percentage point increase from 2021. 

The new cannabis law has also resulted in more people regarding smoking cannabis in public as being a problem associated with the use of illicit drugs. Nearly half of the respondents, 49 per cent, found that smoking cannabis in a public place is a problem. This has gone up by 14 percentage points when compared to 2021.

Fifty per cent of the respondents felt like smoking cannabis in public was not a problem, however, this dropped by nine percentage points when compared to 2021.