Malta will this week become the first European country to legalise the cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use.
A reform across the rest of the continent will follow the move in 2022.
Possession of up to seven grams of the drug will be legal for those aged 18 and above.
It will also be permissible to grow up to four cannabis plants at home, with up to 50g of the dried product storable.
A referendum in Italy will take place, while Canada, Mexico and 18 US states have already enacted similar legislation.
Germany recently 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 on Friday 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.
