The Labour Party’s youth wing has called for cannabis laws to be revised further and for Malta to assess legalisation strategies for the drug. 

Forum Żgħażagħ Laburisti said that it would be presenting a motion to that effect at its Annual General Meeting. 

Cannabis remains an illegal drug in Malta, although people caught with small amounts of the plant can avoid criminal prosecution and pay an administrative fine instead. 

In a statement on Saturday, Forum Żgħażagħ Laburisti said that this decriminalisation strategy had proven to be effective, easing pressures on the legal system and reducing stereotypes surrounding personal use of cannabis.

It, however, said that more research was needed to understand how to advance legislation in this area further. 

Despite the law, people caught with relatively small amounts of the drug were still facing criminal charges, it said. 

Furthermore, trafficking continued unabated. To end it, the country needed to look at legalisation models to see which made the most sense for Malta, it added. 

Education campaigns to inform people about cannabis and discourage its use had to be stepped up, FZL said. 

It noted that the motion echoed the spirit of the Labour Party’s 2017 electoral manifesto, which called for a national debate about cannabis decriminalisation. 

The Labour youth wing said that it would be inviting stakeholders to discuss the matter and present their proposals in the coming month. Anyone interested in taking part in this debate can contact FŻL on info@fzl.org.mt