The low prevalence of cannabis use in Malta may have its roots in culture and the fact that social stigmas are more pronounced in a smaller country, a new report suggests.
The incidence in Cyprus was also low due to its customs, as young Cypriots may associate cannabis with traditional hashish waterpipes smoked by middle-aged and elderly men - meaning they had a much less attractive cultural appeal.
This emerged from the EU drugs agency's (EMCDDA) largest scientific monograph to date, A Cannabis Reader: Global Issues and Local Experiences Perspectives on Cannabis Controversies, Treatment and Regulation in Europe.
In the monograph, launched to coincide with the International Day against Drug Abuse, leading European experts provided informed insight into a wide range of cannabis topics: from political, legislative, economic and social developments to prevention, treatment and healthcare.
Smoked, eaten, imbibed - or just talked about - it seems the world has a strong taste for cannabis. An estimated one in five European adults tried it at some point in their lives, and over 13 million Europeans consumed it in the past month.
Globally, nearly 50,000 tonnes of cannabis herb or resin are produced for consumption every year.
Little wonder, then, that cannabis has become a controversial cultural phenomenon.
At the launch, EMCDDA director Wolfgang Götz said: "While cannabis is Europe's most consumed illicit drug, it can also be a great divider, sparking frequent debates among policymakers, scientists, researchers, law enforcers, drug professionals and citizens."
The monograph showed that in Malta documented evidence of cannabis dated back to the early 1980s when herbal cannabis was grown locally, mainly during summer.
Between 1985 and 1990 an increase in trade between other countries resulted in an increase in the importation of cannabis oil, which is quite rare today, and Lebanese and Moroccan cannabis resin.
The latter remains the most common type of imported resin in Malta.
In fact, Malta has the highest percentage of cannabis seizures registered for resin - 70 per cent to well over 90 per cent, while in Hungary herbal cannabis represents 93 percent of all cannabis seizures. Data about the type of cannabis seizures are available only from Hungary and Malta and this comparison may reflect either a great distinction in consumption patterns or a large difference in the focus of control.
Commenting on the outcome, EMCDDA Chairman Marcel Reimen said: "The monograph underlines the fact that cannabis is not just a static, unchanging substance, but a dynamic product that is subject to gradual evolution in potency, prevalence and cultivation techniques."
"While consumption patterns remain largely occasional, signs of more intensive use raise questions about future health and social problems," he concluded.