Caritas Malta warns against excessive cannabis liberalisation

A new bill to legalise and regulate cannabis consumption has raised concerns from Caritas Malta and OASI Foundation.

The two groups argued that the proposed legislation is another step towards the normalisation of cannabis use. They said it will increase the perception of cannabis as a harmless substance among youths and will eventually see increased cannabis use.

“As a society we must never promote or facilitate, either directly or indirectly, the use of cannabis or other drugs. We will work non-stop to encourage healthy living and healthy recreational choices,” the two said in a joint statement.

Caritas Malta and OASI Foundation added that Malta is at a critical point to decide whether cannabis should be categorised similarly to alcohol and tobacco.

“Alcohol and cigarettes, drugs which can be accessed legally, are considered as the two substances that cause the most damage in society as far as health goes,” they pointed out.

They warned that long-term cannabis use increase risks of Alzheimer’s later in life and affects memory and intellectual brain functions.

“Normalizing the use of the substance is particularly dangerous for the younger generations. Cannabis use by adolescents causes devastating damage to the brain. This is especially worrying when cannabis can harm the adolescent in his ability to learn and stop brain development.”

They added that a portion of the population is genetically predisposed to developing “psychotic conditions” such as schizophrenia. This group faces an increased risk of developing this condition using cannabis, and they argue that these numbers will increase proportionally as people start using cannabis more.

While not everyone who consumes cannabis develops an addiction to the substance, the two groups said that almost every person with a serious substance addiction had started with cannabis.

“It is estimated that one in ten adults who started using Cannabis as adults developed a complete dependence on Cannabis,” they said, citing a reference from the World Health Organisation.

“People who have become addicted to the use of Cannabis or other substances, will find it more difficult to reduce their use in a permissive legal environment and it will be more difficult for them to stop.”

They added that those who are recovering from drug abuse could risk relapse if their environment facilitates cannabis consumption.

“We hope that a serious discussion will take place at this stage, and we call on the authorities and political parties to take due account of the price to be paid by society, children, and families who will be most badly affected by the proposals.”