Bill to make medical marijuana available in Malta proposed

VALLETTA, Malta – Malta’s government has proposed allowing all doctors in the country to prescribe medical marijuana.

The government published draft legislation on Monday that would loosen an existing regulation with so many restrictions that not a single Maltese had ever been treated legally with marijuana or a cannabis based product.

The new law would allow any general practitioner to prescribe medical marijuana, while the current version allows only prescriptions from medical specialists.

The legislation requires approval from the Malta Parliament to become law. Passage is expected in the coming weeks.

Malta’s prime minister suggested last month that recreational use of marijuana might be legalized after the medical marijuana law is passed.

The proposal is the latest evidence of social change in Malta, a European Union member where divorce only was legalized in 2011.