Partit Demokratiku has called for the use of medical cannabis to be speeded up, saying that recreational use was a different issue which should not hold up the former.

It said it was of the firm opinion that legislation that enables patient access to Cannabis for Therapeutic Purposes (CTP) is long overdue. Although further research is necessary, there is ample evidence to support the claims that CTP has the potential to alleviate pain and suffering in many patients affected by a wide range of ailments.

"This makes it an ethical issue of high priority and should take precedence over the issue of legalisation for recreational use. This is why Partit Demokratiku MP Godfrey Farrugia had called for the legalisation of CTP back in 2014. It is deeply disappointing that despite the introduction of new legislation in 2015, no steps have been taken over the past two and a half years to implement a process by which patients could obtain the medicine," the party said.

Read: Cabinet approves medical cannabis

With the Prime Minister’s recent announcement that measures to improve
patient access have been approved by the Cabinet, PD said it hoped to see the
introduction of new importation and manufacturing licences that would enable
companies to legally provide CTP products of good quality to patients under
the supervision and guidance of their family doctors.

"Continuing Medical Education (CME) programmes for doctors and pharmacists
on the risks and benefits of CTP are also necessary to ensure that patients
receive the best quality care and advice. One cannot ignore the long history of
cannabis as an illegal drug of abuse in Malta, and the understandable fear of
stigmatisation is a strong deterrent for many healthcare providers. Any
uncertainty in its legal status will also cause healthcare practitioners to avoid
advising their patients towards CTP for fear of breaking the law. This is why any
new legislation on CTP must be made explicit and understandable by all."

PD noted that acceptable routes of administration should include vaporisation,
oral ingestion and tinctures. PD is of the firm opinion that both synthetic
cannabinoid preparations and herbal cannabis products stand to play an
important role in a wide range of therapeutic applications.