Health Shadow Minister Claudio Grech yesterday told Parliament that a very conservative estimate of the drug market in Malta, according to a report by the Cosmetics, Devices and Drugs Authority (CDDA), was in the region of €70 million to €80 million a year.

He urged vigilance as there was a risk of higher demand, creating more cases and taking up more police time.

Mr Grech said he was pleased to note the government had moved slightly away from its original stand in the White Paper and that this was not complete liberalisation but was echoing the position of the Opposition, which was to reduce the incidence of substance abuse.

Both sides hoped to come to a consensus and show that together they were able to come up with a law for the good of the nation.

He praised the fact that there were exclusions where this Act would not be applicable, namely in clubs, youth centres, schools, entertainment centres and other places where young people met.

This showed that legislators would not be playing around with these parameters.

Mr Grech referred to the board that a first-time offender would be sent to for assessment on the degree of abuse or addiction. With this assessment, the law could save this person’s life by sending them for treatment immediately, rather than passing sentence.

However, it was important to ensure this mechanism did not create more problems for the victims. The rehabilitation board had to send a clear message that it would give direction for treatment, as well as rehabilitation, as a great number would certainly require treatment.

Regarding the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, Mr Grech said he did not believe this should form part of this law. There were laws to regulate the use of dangerous drugs, and this should fall under those provisions.

He agreed with asset recovery, and suggested that funds be used for entertainment hubs to promote having fun in a healthy manner. There was also a need to strengthen the educational aspect, as this was the strongest tool to emphasise that prevention was better than cure.

Concluding, Mr Grech said it was important to strengthen treatment facilities, as those available were limited.

These should be decent, more secluded and controlled and provide an element of privacy to those receiving treatment.