The Labour Party will on Monday present proposals for the legalisation of cannabis.

Party deputy leader Daniel Micallef told Times of Malta that last week the PL’s executive council voted in favour of a suite of legislative reforms linked to cannabis including a push for legalisation of the drug. 

Legalisation of cannabis is the process of removing all legal prohibitions against it.

Since 2015, possession of small quantities of drugs has not been punishable by imprisonment but by a fine.

The party’s position will be presented in the form of a set of proposals to the government's White Paper on cannabis use.

News of Labour’s position was first reported by the party’s new English-language news site The Journal on Sunday. 

Speaking with Times of Malta, Micallef on Sunday said Labour will be calling for a legal framework to regulate the purchase and sale of cannabis plants and seeds.

Labour is also calling for a new authority to regulate the market and oversee quality control, with clear packaging information on products sold on the island. 

In March the government launched a public consultation process on the matter of cannabis regulations. 

In a white paper, the government is proposing that the possession of more that seven grams but less than 28 grams of cannabis for exclusive personal use should be subject to proceedings before the Commissioner for Justice, as currently contemplated for the possession of less than 3.5 grams.

The government is also proposing that every household be allowed to grow up to four plants, in a space which is not visible to the public. 

Under the government plans, home-cultivated cannabis cannot be sold, and can only be consumed in the same household. Cannabis cannot be consumed before minors, and residents are to ensure that it is stored in places which are inaccessible to minors residing in the same habitation. 

The proposals have been met with mixed reactions. The Association of Private Family Doctors (APFD) has acknowledged the need for the decriminalisation of possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal use but warned that legalising the use of the drug will lead to an increase in its overall consumption.