Greens say drug users ‘need rehabilitation, not useless prison sentences’

Alternattiva Demokratika’s youth arm has today claimed that it is short-sighted to put drug traffickers and victims of drug abuse in the same basket, arguing that drug users should be rehabilitated and not incarcerated.

In a statement, the Green Party insisted that Daniel Holmes – the Welshman who was “unjustly jailed” for cannabis cultivation currently – highlighted the need for the Maltese legislator to view drug abuse as a medical and social problem, not a criminal justice problem.

“It is unfair for a person who committed a victimless crime to serve behind bars. Taxpayers are funding the incarceration of harmless people, paying for their food and accommodation amongst other costs. Where necessary, it would be more wise to invest the same money on rehabilitation, community work and programmes to reintegrate those who need help to do so,” ADZ spokesperson James Gabarretta said.

Calling on the government to decriminalise all drugs and to rehabilitate drug users, Gabarretta argued that the Portuguese model of drug decriminalisation resulted in decreases in hard drug use and crimes related to drugs, thereby justifying a move towards a more humane drug policy.

“The decriminalisation of drugs and rehabilitation of victims of drug abuse have had positive effects in various countries including Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Uruguay, and some states in the USA.”

“Hard drug use and crime rates associated with drug rates have decreased. Drug trafficking often involves cartels linked to other crimes such as human trafficking. Less demand for hard drugs will put these unscrupulous people out of trade and make it easier for abusers to seek help,” Gabarretta said.

On his part, ADZ Chairperson Marc Andrea Cassar took the government to task, arguing that the reforms to Malta’s drug problems left much to be desired.

Cassar also argued that alcohol is as much as a drug as is cannabis, and that people who consume or grow cannabis for their own personal use cannot be incarcerated while the government fails to address problems associated with alcohol consumption.