Alternattiva Demokratika has called for an overhaul of the drug laws after a court on Thursday rejected the Daniel Holmes appeal.

"The confirmation of the 10 year sentence in the Daniel Holmes' case shows that Maltese drug laws are in need of a total overhaul, which gives priority to the classification of different drugs, the definition of the quantification of amounts as regards trafficking, the specification of what minimum amount constitutes cultivation and the decriminalisation of drugs for personal use," AD leader Arnold Cassola said.

The spokesperson for Social Policy, Robert Callus, said: "Once again strictly adhering to technicalities has won over common sense. For instance, according to the court experts he could have made 5000 joints from the leaves found, when in truth leaves are not smoked due to their miniscule TCH content. TCH is the chemical responsible for most of marijuana's psychological effects. The charge of cultivation which significantly increases the sentence means nothing less that the cannabis was in a pot. Why should this make it a worse crime than someone who buys dried cannabis bud or resin?"