Labour MEP: Households should be allowed to pool ‘cannabis quotas’

The Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer is proposing that Malta’s decriminalisation of recreational cannabis is accompanied by allowances for households to “pool their rights” to cultivate cannabis at home, in social enterprises. 

Engerer explains in an opinion piece penned for MaltaToday, that a cultivation social enterprise model similar to ones established in Uruguay can allow non-profit groups to be allowed to grow cannabis on behalf of registered members. 

Such a ‘cannabis club’, under strict security measures, would allow households to legally allow dedicated growers to grow cannabis. 

Engerer said such cannabis clubs would be able to grow plants for citizens who do not have the means to grow cannabis in their own residence, due to issues such as cost, space or direct access to sunlight. 

Access to these enterprises would be only available to registered members of the club who must be residents of Malta. 

“Members would be mandated to go through intake interviews where the social enterprise would need to find out more information about the member as a cannabis user – such as their frequency of use, their personal history with cannabis use, information on in what settings they consume, their lifestyle and the measures they can take to ensure their consumption is responsible and safe on an individual level.” 

He said such enterprises would provide specific information on the THC-to-CBD content and the specific effects that specific strains can give to individuals depending on the type and breeding of the strain. “This will ensure that consumers are choosing the right product for their needs, and will ensure that everyone in the country has fair and equal access to this civil freedom.” 

Engerer has called for an open and honest discussion, not only with young people, but also older ones who have been using cannabis for decades, about drugs and drug use. 

“Such measures could include educational and information campaigns which would stay away from the ‘war on drugs’ fallacies that create fearmongering, and instead be encouraged to use harm reduction measures, empathy and understanding to showcase clear, scientifically accurate information.” 

Engerer tomorrow hosts a European Parliament, high-level conference together with the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies. This conference brings together member state organisations, academics, journalists, human rights experts, toxicologists, harm reduction specialists, MPs and MEPs to discuss this issue and the way forward for all those forces across Europe who believe in a human rights-based cannabis policies.