The legal implications of introducing marijuana for medical purposes in Malta

Abstract

The objective of this dissertation is to provide information on the recent changes in the legislation on the use of marijuana as a form of treatment, strictly for patients who could benefit from its use. This topic has been the subject of ongoing debates, especially in recent years. Specific forms of marijuana for medical purposes were legalised in early 2018. The author seeks to provide information on this subject through three different themes, with the intention of developing a well-structured idea for potential readers. These themes cover the following: the role of law in foreign countries in order to provide a comparison as well as help with anticipating certain repercussions, insight into the development process of this law by referring to parliamentary representatives, and the pros and cons of legalisation through two separate sectors affecting the Maltese population. Since the change in legislation took place very recently, data on local developments is rather limited. Therefore, a qualitative approach was adopted for this research. A section describing the most important findings is provided, highlighting the dominant factors that arise, or could arise, subsequent to this change. Additionally, suggestions for further research are presented and encouraged.