Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
An act to amend the Drug Dependence (Treatment not Imprisonment) Act of 2015 will be discussed in Parliament today, and could determine the future of medical cannabis in Malta.
The bill, which will be undergoing its second reading in a plenary session in Parliament this evening, clarifies what the government's position on medical cannabis will be.
1. No smoking products will be allowed
The bill states that "none of the preparations ... may be indicated for smoking or in any form meant for smoking."
2. Certain professions will be banned from using medical cannabis, including civil servant officers
Public bus drivers, as well as school van or people who own a commercial driver's license will not be allowed to access medicinal cannabis.
Soldiers, policemen, correctional officers as well as civil service officers will also not be allowed to access medicinal cannabis.
3. Only artificial products or extracts will be allowed
Only medicines made from artificial cannabinoids or products using cannabis extracts will be allowed. No natural products will be permitted.
4. Patients will need to get a control card
Medical Cannabis Control Cards will be the key to accessing medicinal cannabis in Malta. This would be issued for one year, upon which the patient would need to reapply.
To be applicable for the control card, the patient will have never been convicted of a drug offence and not be undergoing rehab or any psychiatric management fro substance abuse at the time.
Apart from this, the card needs to be signed by both the family doctor and a community pharmacist to be applicable.
5. All licensed medical practitioners are entitled to prescribe medical cannabis
Any licensed doctor can prescribe cannabis if the above requirements are met. However, each time a doctor writes a prescription they must email the Superintendent of Public Health.
If the application meets all the Superintendent's requirements, then "prescriber, pharmaceutical wholesale dealer and the pharmacist receive a copy of the application endorsed by the Superintendent for Public Health".
6. You must be at least 18-years-old
Access to medicinal cannabis is only for those above 18-year-old. So far, the bill does not consider anyone below the age of 18 as needing medical cannabis.
7. Cannabis prescribed only if "no viable alternative" exists
A patient can only be prescribed medical cannabis if their doctor as well as the Superintendent determine that there are no other medicines on the market that heal or address their ailment.
8. Prescriptions are done on a "named-patient" basis
Medicinal cannabis prescriptions, unlike most other prescriptions, are only to be prescribed on a named-patient basis, as the Superintendent of Health wishes.
Putting medicinal cannabis prescriptions in the "named-patient" box means that the government still considers medicinal cannabis as extraordinary, and as such the authorities need to sign off on it.
9. All preparations requested by medical practitioners are "to comply with the Medicines Act or manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice"
All products must undergo quality testing to adhere to the "Good Manufacturing Practices" that are currently detailed in the guidelines published by the European Union Commission.
10. The Superintendent of Health must approve everything
The Superintendent of Health still holds final authority over any sick person's chance of accessing medical cannabis. However, the Superintendent must reply within 15 days of a family doctor's submission to the Drug Control Regulatory Unit on behalf of a patient.
Maltese cannabis lobby group ReLeaf have criticized the bill, with the group's co-founder Eric Castillo telling Lovin Malta "that not allowing the flower version of the medicine will continue pushing patients to the black market. We also we believe that not allowing access to medicine based on a person's job is utterly ridiculous."
Similarly, Maltese medicinal cannabis users have also said they "do not understand" why the government is making the situation harder for patient who need their medicine.
How to get medical cannabis according to the proposed Bill
Step 1 - Apply for a Medical Cannabis Control Card
Step 2 - Meet the requirements and be accepted for the Control Card
Step 3 - Have the Control Card signed by a family doctor and a community pharmacist
Step 4 - Find a doctor who will prescribe medicinal cannabis
Step 5 - Ensure that there are no other medicines at all that can be applied to your illness
Step 6 - Be included on a governmental list of "named-patients"
Step 7 - Have the doctor send a generic email to the Superintendent of Health
Step 8 - Wait up to two weeks for confirmation
Step 9 - Have the Superintendent approve the email by sending another email to the prescriber, pharmaceutical wholesale dealer and the pharmacist
Step 10 - Go to a pharmacy and access your medicine
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: This Is Exactly How The Maltese Government Wants To Legalise Medical Cannabis - Lovin Malta
Author: Johnathan Cilia
Contact: Contact - Lovin Malta
Photo Credit: LovinMalta
Website: Lovin Malta - Your Online Guide To Malta
The bill, which will be undergoing its second reading in a plenary session in Parliament this evening, clarifies what the government's position on medical cannabis will be.
1. No smoking products will be allowed
The bill states that "none of the preparations ... may be indicated for smoking or in any form meant for smoking."
2. Certain professions will be banned from using medical cannabis, including civil servant officers
Public bus drivers, as well as school van or people who own a commercial driver's license will not be allowed to access medicinal cannabis.
Soldiers, policemen, correctional officers as well as civil service officers will also not be allowed to access medicinal cannabis.
3. Only artificial products or extracts will be allowed
Only medicines made from artificial cannabinoids or products using cannabis extracts will be allowed. No natural products will be permitted.
4. Patients will need to get a control card
Medical Cannabis Control Cards will be the key to accessing medicinal cannabis in Malta. This would be issued for one year, upon which the patient would need to reapply.
To be applicable for the control card, the patient will have never been convicted of a drug offence and not be undergoing rehab or any psychiatric management fro substance abuse at the time.
Apart from this, the card needs to be signed by both the family doctor and a community pharmacist to be applicable.
5. All licensed medical practitioners are entitled to prescribe medical cannabis
Any licensed doctor can prescribe cannabis if the above requirements are met. However, each time a doctor writes a prescription they must email the Superintendent of Public Health.
If the application meets all the Superintendent's requirements, then "prescriber, pharmaceutical wholesale dealer and the pharmacist receive a copy of the application endorsed by the Superintendent for Public Health".
6. You must be at least 18-years-old
Access to medicinal cannabis is only for those above 18-year-old. So far, the bill does not consider anyone below the age of 18 as needing medical cannabis.
7. Cannabis prescribed only if "no viable alternative" exists
A patient can only be prescribed medical cannabis if their doctor as well as the Superintendent determine that there are no other medicines on the market that heal or address their ailment.
8. Prescriptions are done on a "named-patient" basis
Medicinal cannabis prescriptions, unlike most other prescriptions, are only to be prescribed on a named-patient basis, as the Superintendent of Health wishes.
Putting medicinal cannabis prescriptions in the "named-patient" box means that the government still considers medicinal cannabis as extraordinary, and as such the authorities need to sign off on it.
9. All preparations requested by medical practitioners are "to comply with the Medicines Act or manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice"
All products must undergo quality testing to adhere to the "Good Manufacturing Practices" that are currently detailed in the guidelines published by the European Union Commission.
10. The Superintendent of Health must approve everything
The Superintendent of Health still holds final authority over any sick person's chance of accessing medical cannabis. However, the Superintendent must reply within 15 days of a family doctor's submission to the Drug Control Regulatory Unit on behalf of a patient.
Maltese cannabis lobby group ReLeaf have criticized the bill, with the group's co-founder Eric Castillo telling Lovin Malta "that not allowing the flower version of the medicine will continue pushing patients to the black market. We also we believe that not allowing access to medicine based on a person's job is utterly ridiculous."
Similarly, Maltese medicinal cannabis users have also said they "do not understand" why the government is making the situation harder for patient who need their medicine.
How to get medical cannabis according to the proposed Bill
Step 1 - Apply for a Medical Cannabis Control Card
Step 2 - Meet the requirements and be accepted for the Control Card
Step 3 - Have the Control Card signed by a family doctor and a community pharmacist
Step 4 - Find a doctor who will prescribe medicinal cannabis
Step 5 - Ensure that there are no other medicines at all that can be applied to your illness
Step 6 - Be included on a governmental list of "named-patients"
Step 7 - Have the doctor send a generic email to the Superintendent of Health
Step 8 - Wait up to two weeks for confirmation
Step 9 - Have the Superintendent approve the email by sending another email to the prescriber, pharmaceutical wholesale dealer and the pharmacist
Step 10 - Go to a pharmacy and access your medicine
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: This Is Exactly How The Maltese Government Wants To Legalise Medical Cannabis - Lovin Malta
Author: Johnathan Cilia
Contact: Contact - Lovin Malta
Photo Credit: LovinMalta
Website: Lovin Malta - Your Online Guide To Malta
