In 2007, Kevin Bellotti was sentenced to prison and fined thousands. Before going to jail, he had spent years signing a bail book every day at a police station and living under a 10pm curfew.

His crime? Growing four cannabis plants at his family home in Xgħajra.

“Before prison I had a life, a family, a good job and a roof over my head. Then I was labelled a criminal, and my life changed dramatically. I was a victim of the system,” Bellotti told Times of Malta. 

He will now be able to wipe the conviction off his criminal record.

“I am glad that no one else will ever face the difficulties I did just because they decided to grow cannabis for their own use,” he said.

Bellotti started smoking cannabis at 17 to help reduce his anxiety and insomnia.

In the late 1990s, there was a shortage of cannabis supply and prices skyrocketed, he recalled. So at 30, he decided to grow cannabis himself. 

Five years later he was arrested. He never sold cannabis, he said, but had been reported to the police by his neighbours. 

He had just bought an apartment with his then wife and four-year-old daughter. “The day the police raided our apartment was the same day I had just finished moving all our furniture into our new home.

“It was meant to be the first proper night in my apartment, but my night ended locked up in the police depot on a mattress that stank of urine.”

“Nothing is worse than being locked up. I was not a criminal. I was frustrated”

He was charged for cultivating cannabis for trafficking despite what he said was evidence showing that he never made any profit from his plants. 

“That was the law back then. Even if you are caught with a small plant, you were labelled as a trafficker. It was a very unfair and disgusting law.”

Between 2003 and 2007, Bellotti had to stick to a daily 10pm curfew and sign the police bail book every day. On May 25, 2007, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison and a Lm4,000 fine (€9,000).

“I lost all my freedom. I had to sell my apartment, missed out on family birthdays, weddings and spending time with my daughter.

“Nothing is worse than being locked up. I was not a criminal. I was frustrated. Prison had taken away my freedom.”

Once out, he had to start all over again. When he returned to his workplace of 17 years, he was demoted. 

“When I asked why 17 years of my career was thrown into the bin I was told ‘thank God that you were thrown in the bin and not the skip’. Do you have any idea how that feels? I was demoralised so badly.

“I have only stepped foot into court twice, once for this conviction and once for my separation,” he added.

He hopes the stigma cannabis smokers face will now be lifted. 

“We need to normalise the fact that people who smoke are not criminals, but are like me, people with a family and a job.”

Will he grow his own plants again? The 50-year-old replied with a cheerful “yes”.

“I will apply to have my criminal record cleared, and I am happy about the new law, but what happened to me changed my life and I have a scar that will never heal.”