Time-line of events

The subject of legislating cannabis for medicinal purposes was first broached in Parliament by former Labour and now Partit

Demokratiku MP Godfrey Farrugia back in June 2014. He called for the legalisation of medicinal cannabis for non-smoking purposes to improve the patients’ quality of life where no other alternative exists. He also called on lawmakers to listen to the needs of patients.

The following month, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici issued a white paper for what would be the Drug Dependency Act. This Act, approved in 2015, gave softer penalties to those caught with specified quantities of marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine. It also enabled medical practitioners to prescribe medicinal cannabis.

The latter part encountered difficulties however and because of inconsistencies with the law, medical practitioners were not in fact allowed to prescribe medicinal cannabis product derivatives. The only instance where, on a name basis, patients could access one type of cannabis derivative product was for those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.

In August of this year, synthetic CBD oil (CBD being one type of cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant) became legal; however, because it is extremely expensive price, many patients could not benefit from this product.

While the battle raged on, many patients turned to black-market products in order to get access.

At this stage, the amendments to allow medical practitioners to prescribe medicinal cannabis were drafted, with the first reading presented on 27 November and a debate on the issue to take place tomorrow evening in Parliament.