A distinction between the production of cannabis for medical purposes and recreational use should be made clear in the Bill currently being debated in Parliament, Opposition leader Adrian Delia said on Tuesday.
Speaking during the debate on the production of medical cannabis products, Dr Delia said that although cultivation for medical use was not necessary for the production of medical cannabis products locally, it would be permitted under the introduced law if producers were in possession of a license.
Dr Delia criticised the law for not reassuring proper regulation of and supervision over the production process and for not properly catering for the vetting of potential investors.
The Bill was “poor” and clearly drawn up in haste, he said, seemingly tailor-made to cater to the interests of specific investors.
He called for it to be amended to explicitly prohibit the commercialisation of cannabis for recreational purposes from being introduced through a legal notice.
Opposition MP Godfrey Farrugia called for increased rigour with respect to the monitoring of secure sites where cannabis derivatives would be processed.
Monitoring, he said, should perhaps be managed by the regulatory authority instead of by the companies themselves.
Whilst stating his belief that the vaporiser should be considered as a potential means of delivery, considering that it allowed for better dosage control and bypassed the gallbladder and liver, he also called for the products to be subject to independent laboratory testing to mitigate any risk of contamination.
Winding up, Economy Minister Chris Cardona stated that the law was only the enabling legislation for the production of medical cannabis products, and would be expanded upon through subsidiary legislation issued under the watchful eye of the Malta Medicines Authority, which enjoyed a positive international reputation.
He said that the three companies granted a letter of intent by Malta Enterprise were forecast to invest over €7 million and to create over 100 jobs, and other companies being considered were forecast to invest a total of €57 million and to create over 350 jobs, all within a three-year period.