A white paper on the decriminalisation of cannabis is a positive step in the right direction, ADPD said on Wednesday.
According to a proposed reform unveiled on Tuesday, cannabis users will be allowed to grow their own plants at home and legally carry up to 7 grams of the drug for personal use.
In a statement, ADPD hoped it will lead to a mature discussion on the issue since much more needed to be done.
Party chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that the war on drugs has failed miserably and it is positive that the government is, at last, moving away from the criminalisation of cannabis users.
“It is about time that people’s lives are no longer destroyed by the justice system for smoking a joint, doing more harm than what the drug could have ever caused. The freed-up police resources, which are currently strained on pursuing cannabis users can be used for more important work such as combatting corruption in high levels of authority, including at Cabinet level,” Cacopardo said.
Spokesperson Samuel Muscat pointed out that the white paper fails to speak about the sale of cannabis. He said that while possession of a certain amount is being proposed to be made legal, selling remains illegal, leading to grey areas.
ADPD wants cannabis regulated, with sales controlled from licensed shops.
When presenting the white paper on Tuesday, Prime Minister Robert Abela said the government was open to hearing suggestions about how the sale of cannabis and cannabis seeds could be safely regulated.
The white paper is open to public consultation until May 11.
Muscat hoped for decriminalisation of all drug users and addicts, following the Portuguese model, as, he said, had already been vaguely promised by the Labour Party
This, he said, has been shown to be the most effective model for harm reduction from drug use.
“Drug addiction and abuse need to be addressed as a medical and social issue, not a criminal one. Those who are already rendered victims of drug abuse should not be victimised again by the criminal justice system,” Muscat said.