3 Years After Cannabis Reform In Malta, Regulator Says Harm Reduction Approach Is Working & More Pot Updates Across Europe

Over the last several years, Europe has become more open-minded about medical and recreational marijuana. Here are some of the latest cannabis developments from Malta, Poland, The Netherlands, and Norway.

Malta: Head Of Cannabis Regulatory Authority Says Harm Reduction Approach Is Working

About three years after Malta became the first country in Europe to legalize cannabis, Joey Reno Vella, head of its marijuana regulatory authority, is praising the reform.

"The country's harm reduction approach is working," Vella toldMalta Today.

Before the reform, cannabis users had to rely on the black market, where their products' safety was in question. "They now know from where the product came from, what it contains and know that it does not contain harmful substances like bacteria, heavy metals and mold. The product will cause less harm and expose people to less risks," Vella added.

There are now eight cannabis associations with around 2,000 registered members. Six additional organizations are about to begin operations. Vella says there were no major regulatory breaches and associations were quick to comply with any infringements.

At the moment, Malta regulators are satisfied with the non-profit harm-reduction model and are not considering commercializing the plant.

Poland: As The Number Of Medical Marijuana Prescriptions Skyrockets, Lawmakers Aim To Revise The Law

The government of Poland wants to tighten medical marijuana rules to address concerns of possible misuse, writes Business of Cannabis.

In 2019, only 2,909 cannabis prescriptions were issued, but this number skyrocketed to 276,807 in 2023, marking a 9,420% increase over that period. In line with the increasing medical marijuana use, the Polish Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS) recently revealed that 73.4% of Poles support the decriminalization of cannabis.

This significant growth in the number of prescriptions has led to concerns that cannabis is being used largely for non-medical purposes. That's why the lawmakers are proposing changes to make sure medical marijuana is used only by patients in need.

Under the current cannabis law, medical marijuana prescriptions can be obtained via online consultations. The proposed changes would restrict online prescriptions to ongoing treatments of up to three months and impose various other limitations.

The proposals are not yet official, and details have yet to be published.

Read Also: 22.8M Europeans Used Weed Last Year, German University Launches Marijuana Cultivation Course And UK’s ‘Cannabis Martyr’

Norway: Green Party Leader Wants To Legalize Cannabis Use

Arild Hermstad, the leader of the Green Party wants to legalize cannabis use. Recently, Hermstad told NRK, that crime challenges won't be resolved with more police going after young people who consume illegal substances. Instead, he suggests cutting the gangs' main income source – sales of illegal substances.

“Instead of trying the Swedes’ failed drug policy, punishing drug users, and not daring to debate legalization, the government must learn from Germany and several other countries,” Hermstad said.

Hermstad's proposal is facing strong opposition from various politicians, including the Center Party leader and Finance Minister, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum. In addition to the Center Party, the Labour Party, the Progress Party,and the Christian Democratic Party are also against cannabis reform.

“Saying yes to cannabis, hash, marijuana will make it harder to reduce drug use in Norway. I think it’s very unwise,” Vedum told NRK.

Recently, Emilie Enger Mehl, the Minister of Justice and Public Security and member of the Center Party said that it is reasonable to punish people for cannabis and other illegal substances use. In a clip from an NRK News interview shared on Twitter, Mehl says, “There is still a fine or imprisonment of up to six months and I think that is reasonably reasonable as long as we believe that drugs should be illegal”.

The Netherlands To Postpone Start Of Adult-Use Cannabis Experiment

The Netherlands will most likely postpone the planned start of its controlled cannabis supply chain experiment due to domestic supply issues, first reported by the Business of Cannabis.

Recently, the State Secretary for Youth, Prevention and Sports and Minister of Justice and Security sent a letter to the Dutch Chairman of the House of Representatives highlighting concerns about the limited supply from three growers.

"The transition phase began on June 17th, allowing selected growers to sell regulated cannabis to participating coffeeshops. However, due to insufficient production and diversity of cannabis and hashish, the experimental phase scheduled for September 16th cannot begin as planned. Only three of the designated growers are currently supplying, and production levels are below the necessary thresholds. The transition phase will be extended until the supply is sufficient," reads the letter.

The Secretary and Minister noted that a new update is expected by mid-November.

Read Next: Legal Weed Is Now Available In Many Parts Of The Netherlands As Government Cannabis Trial Enters Next Stage

Photo: Courtesy of Georgios Tsichlis via Shutterstock