Cannabis use in Malta seen low

An EU report published today shows Malta having among the lowest rates of marijuana and cannabis use in Europe.

The report, by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, shows Romania, Malta, Greece and Bulgaria among those with the lowest usage

The Dutch too were among the lowest users, despite the Netherlands' well-known tolerance of the drug, according to the today.

A higher percentage of adults in Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and France took cannabis last year, the EU agency said, with the highest being Italy at 14.6 percent. Usage in Italy used to be among the lowest at below 10 percent a decade ago.

Cannabis use in Europe rose steadily during the 1990s and earlier this decade, but has recently stabilised and is beginning to show signs of decline, the agency said, owing to several national campaigns to curb and treat use of the drug.

"Data from general population and school surveys point to a stabilising or even decreasing situation," the report said.

The policy on soft drugs in the Netherlands, one of the most liberal in Europe, allows for the sale of marijuana at "coffee shops", which the Dutch have allowed to operate for decades, and possession of less than 5 grams (0.18 oz).

Nearly a fifth of the 228 coffee shops in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, a popular draw for tourists, are scheduled to be shut down because they are too close to schools.