The Chamber of Pharmacists has joined the appeal for President George Vella not to sign the legislation on the Cannabis Reform Bill.
The MUMN, last week [1] called on the President not to endorse the law, and other organisations [2] voiced their concern over the bill, asking for Government MPs to be allowed a free vote.
The Chamber in a statement, said that it noted with ”grave concern” that the ‘Act To Establish The Authority On The Responsible Use Of Cannabis And To Amend Various Laws Relating To Certain Cannabis Activities’ (Bill No. 241) had reached the 3rd reading stage at Parliament ”without any of the amendments proposed by the experts, professionals, NGOs, academics, employers organisations being considered at the Committee stage.”
The Chamber called on George Vella, ”as President of Malta, and a medical doctor by profession, to refrain from signing the legislation, in the best interest of the population you represent and safeguard, present and future generations, and use your acumen and moral and institutional authority to redirect it to the Committee stage, where the expert submissions and amendment proposals are considered in bona fide by the Government to reach a just, fair and equitable conclusion, based on science and beneficence, on this controversial bill – the objective of which seems to be to the benefit of no one except suppliers of cannabis, licit or illicit.”
The Chamber also noted and endorses the positions expressed more recently by other health care professional associations and unions in particular the concerns for health and safety at the place of work and practice.
The Chamber reiterated that it had published its position on the bill on the 11th of May and said that ”under the current version of the proposed legalisation paradigm the State effectively condones unlimited, all day, every day exposure to extremely high concentrations of THC, other cannabinoids and cannabis tars.”
It argued that, ”this is not the way forward for our youth and our society.”