Valletta, Europe Brief News – A local doctor was arrested for distributing cannabis a few months after the island has legalised the drug.
Police arrested Andrew Agius, 43, on March 10. He faces charges of drug trafficking for importing cannabis and also selling it to his patients to relieve back pain.
His lawyers have also argued that the product contains a small amount of THC, the active content in cannabis. It is not a prohibited drug.
His arrest sparked condemnation as it came months after the island became the first in Europe to legalise the drug.
The arrest has thrown into confusion Malta’s much-vaunted legalisation of cannabis, with NGOs and police unsure about what is illegal.
On 14 December 2021, the Maltese parliament passed the controversial “Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis” Bill, with 36 votes in favour and 27 against.
Germany also announced a move to establish a legally regulated market. Governments in Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands also declared similar announcements.
Luxembourg will allow adults to use cannabis and grow up to four plants per household. The new decision made it the first country in Europe to fully legalise the production and consumption of the drug.
The announcement by Luxembourg’s government was said to deliver fundamental changes in the country’s approach to recreational cannabis use and cultivation in light of the failure of prohibition to deter use.
Under the legislation, young people will be able to legally grow up to four cannabis plants per household.
