Four plead guilty to cannabis possession

Paul Smith

Sep 2nd 2012, 19:16

Some of the comments miss the point, but that's hardly surprising for Malta now is it.

Alcohol shrinks the Brain, but it is regulated and warnings are posted on labels about the damage alcohol can do, well at least in my country

Tobacco is a massive killer and if the government were worried about your health - would ban it, but they love the tax revenue so they dont. Tobacco comes with serious health warnings on the packet.

Cannabis is less harmful than both the above drugs and recent studies suggest that it is relatively harmless to the adult Brain. The recent study shows any sensible person that regulation is the way to go. The only age for cannabis at the moment is 20 euro's well in Malta same could be said about alcohol and tobacco although they are far less than 20 euro's.

Cannabis is not going away, it has been around for 10,000 years when first discovered in China. Better to regulate and tax than the current stupid situation

anthony sultana

Sep 1st 2012, 09:00

Poor tourists, nice holiday.an arest for some grass.

J. Vella

Sep 1st 2012, 08:58

I thought that the punishment for drugs trafficking was effective jail term....

Joe Xuereb

Sep 1st 2012, 01:01

@ Paul Smith (Yesterday, 20:56). Mr. Smith, you may have a verifiable point that the brain is fully developed at age eighteen and not before. Unfortunately, the development of the brain is twofold. One is the physiological aspect as you quite rightly say (although I would dispute this as different people develop differently). But what concerns me is the second aspect. One can get a sixteen year old (OK! an eighteen year old if you prefer) and a thirty-five year old. The younger person is astute and might even go to the trouble of finding out what is, and what is not, potentially harmful. The older person may rest on his laurels, knowing that his brain is fully developed and therefore he can not come to any harm. I will not bother to explain what I mean as the implications are so obvious it would be idiotic to spell them out.


The danger of the mildest drugs is that they are always mood changing (otherwise why indulge); and they are always within the ambit of drug culture. There is never any guarantee that a user of cannabis will not graduate to stronger stuff if the place, and the occasion, are right. Especially if they are thirty-five years old going twelve.


Anybody who feels the need to smoke cannabis, etc. to de-stress themselves would do better to identity what is stressing them and deal with the stresses. It is not a given that every stress has a solution; there are times when we have to learn to live with our stresses (a little stress is good for one). A recognised alternative to de-stressing is better communication with oneself and with others (and avoiding like the plague any wallowing in whatever it is that is perceived as negative and never thinking of possible solutions. A real downer! Having said that, there is no law that says we must be happy/relaxed all the time. A full grasp of the meaning of the Human Condition will dispel any such silly nonsense as it is 'sold' to us.

Paul Smith

Aug 31st 2012, 20:56

Waste of court time, waste of money waste of resources. Cannabis is safe for adults, not safe for people under 18 years as the brain has not fully developed, but alcohol is far worse for the developing Brain.

You celebrate deadly drugs at wine festivals (wine is a dangerous drug) and celebrate deadly drugs at Beer festivals (Beer is a deadly drug) but if you celebrate cannabis your in big trouble! To many people are fedup with this BS laws now! If some idiot is free to poison his body with alcohol and be a threat to himself and others around him, then why not let people who enjoy Cannabis which is a peaceful drug that causes no violence use it, Cannabis is a safer personal choice - why are we arresting people for choosing a healthier way to change there mood? It really is time to stop this bullshit!