The cannabis authority is looking into the introduction of designated places where people can consume weed.

It is also exploring the possibility of allowing licensed associations to sell other forms of cannabis currently available only on the black market, as a strategic move to combat the illicit trade, authority CEO Joey Reno Vella said in a wide-ranging interview.

Three years after Malta became the first European nation to legalise cannabis possession and cultivation, the 29-year-old lawyer and football player sat down with Times of Malta seven months into his appointment as CEO of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) to explain where the authority plans to go next.

He said he is personally in favour of on-site consumption and that the authority is holding meetings with stakeholders to study how it can be done, but it cannot be introduced overnight and must be profoundly analysed first.

At present, the law only allows cannabis users to smoke in private, which essentially means at home. They can buy weed from licenced associations but they must consume it in private.

But this is difficult for those who have children because the law also prohibits smoking in the presence of minors, he explained.

Others live with their parents, with a partner or in an apartment block with neighbours who do not like the odour of weed, which leaves some users with very limited choices where they can smoke.

“Are we offering a safe space where people can consume cannabis? On-site smoking would offer these people a safe and viable option, away from minors, public places and other people who are bothered by the odour,” he said.

“But thorough consultations with stakeholders must precede implementation, and we cannot open these places just anywhere. Planning law, for instance, stipulates that associations are built at least 250 metres away from schools, sports facilities and childcare centres.”

On-site consumption would possibly also reduce illegal smoking on the streets, he added.

“Could it be that some people smoke in public because they have nowhere else to smoke?”

When the ARUC was set up in 2022, it was touted as the government’s main force to eradicate the cannabis black market.

Two years on, Vella admitted the black market was not and probably never will be eliminated entirely, but it certainly took a hit.

“The black market is still active and probably will remain so, but we gave it a firm blow,” he said.

He pointed to the surge in association memberships as evidence, indicating a shift from illicit sources towards a regulated market with quality-controlled cannabis.

“The feedback we’re getting from the associations indicates that the members who are registering were already cannabis consumers, which means they shifted from the black market towards the safer, regulated option,” he said.

“It goes to show how necessary the reform was. These people were previously constrained to buy their weed from the black market but they now have a much safer alternative. The product in our associations is quality controlled and tested to make sure it’s not contaminated by other harmful substances.”

But some popular forms of weed are still only available on the black market and Vella revealed plans to potentially allow associations to offer cannabis resin, for instance.

“There’s research which shows that resin is much more powerful, so we need to see all safeguards are in place before we can implement the change. But associations are telling us some of their members prefer the resin, as opposed to the dried cannabis, which is the only option we offer now.”

Edibles, he added, were also under consideration, but faced regulatory hurdles due to food safety concerns.

Prophecy comes true?

Some of the harshest critics of the cannabis law had feared the reform was but a slippery slope towards complete normalisation of the drug and a free-for-all market.

Vella was asked whether these ideas – to introduce on-site consumption and new forms of cannabis – were indeed a prophecy coming true. But he refuted the suggestion that any of these measures would liberalise or normalise cannabis use.

ARUC has stringent age verifications, restrictions on advertising and consumption limits, he said, all of which are stricter than any law on alcohol, tobacco consumption or betting, for instance.

“I don’t agree we’re normalising it. Members who are joining associations were already cannabis users, so all we did was shift the user base to the safer option.

“And the alcohol, tobacco and betting industries are hardly as controlled. Alcohol, for instance, is widely advertised and tobacco is commonly smoked on the streets but weed cannot be advertised and people can’t consume it in public. In a bar, for instance, there’s no limit on how much alcohol you can order and drink, but in a cannabis association, you can only consume up to seven grams daily and not more than 50 grams per month.”

He further challenged the stigma surrounding cannabis odour compared to tobacco, suggesting designated smoking zones for all types of smoking materials.

“I’m not justifying public consumption of cannabis but you don’t hear people complain about tobacco odours in public. Tobacco cigarettes don’t have a pleasant smell and aren’t healthy either, so why is the attack often only aimed at cannabis users?” he asked.

“Often, this attitude continues to fuel stigma against those who smoke cannabis. But maybe it’s time we created designated zones for all kinds of smoking.”

Vella said he could not answer for enforcement of cannabis laws as that is the remit of the police, but he did acknowledge there are challenges, particularly regarding the enforcement of the law that prohibits consumption in the presence of minors.

He emphasised the best way to increase adherence to the law is by increasing the intensity of ongoing education campaigns.

Two new associations

ARUC approved the licensing of its two newest cannabis associations just last week, Vella revealed during the interview.

One is licenced to register up to 50 members and the other may take up to 100, he said.

Meanwhile, around 15 other applications are pending, waiting for the authority to scrutinise them and give them the green light.

Vella does not feel the increasing number of associations accounts for an increase in demand for the drug. Rather, he believes, the members were already cannabis users who are merely making the shift.

CBD arrests

He also promised to push the government to put forward legislative amendments that would ensure people are not prosecuted for possessing CBD products with minimal THC content.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is the second most common compound in cannabis after tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). While THC is what gives cannabis its psychoactive effect, or ‘high’, CBD has no psychoactive properties. It is often used for its medicinal properties.

While it is generally sold as a component in oils, edible and cosmetic products, CBD is also available in flower form, visually indistinguishable from psychoactive cannabis.

This was why, in 2021, doctor and Pain Clinic founder Andrew Agius was charged with suspicion of importing and trafficking narcotics after police seized CBD cannabis flowers from his establishment.

Vella said he was committed to addressing the legal ambiguities surrounding CBD products. After doing its research, ARUC will be pushing the government to table an amendment to the law which would ensure people are not arrested or prosecuted for carrying CBD for medicinal purposes.

It was one of his priorities when he took the helm of the authority in March, along with a plan to ban HHC products from the market.

That ban came last week, after ARUC and several NGOs pushed the government to outlaw the often colourfully packaged synthetic drug that was being marketed as a legal alternative to cannabis and sold over the counter.

“It was sold in the form of gummies, lollipops and marshmallows, and  packaged in a way that indicated children could consume it harmlessly,” he said.

“It was never regulated by ARUC but it was the antithesis of all that we stand for, and that’s why I’m satisfied to see it banned.”

Vella said he does not smoke weed because he plays a sport which prohibits its players from consuming it, but even if he did not play football, he would still not be interested in smoking it.

“That doesn’t mean I should dismiss the needs of all the people who want to smoke, however. At ARUC we maintain that the safest way to consume cannabis is to not consume it at all, but we’re committed to offer a safe product to those who insist on consuming it.”

He does not have children yet and if he ever does, he will do all he can to keep them away from cannabis, he added. But if, when they’re old enough, they decide they still want to consume weed, then he will do all he can to convince them that buying it from the licenced organisations is the safest option.