Malta - branded the island of innovation

and the Czech Republic. Given the ever-expanding medicinal capabilities of cannabis, Malta has followed suit and in

March last year we officially legalised the production and use of medicinal cannabis.

The Maltese Parliament has approved the Production of Cannabis for Medicinal Use Act, which is an all-encompassing Act that regulates which entities are eligible to distribute and produce cannabis, under strict supervision. The new law also allows all registered doctors to prescribe medical cannabis to patients, which can be obtained from local pharmacies.

In order to cultivate cannabis, entities must first obtain a letter of intent from Malta Enterprise and also a licence from the Medicines Authority. According to local media reports, of the 46 applications received, 20 entities have been issued with a letter of intent for the production of medical cannabis. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, speaking in London at Cannabis Europa, announced that the approved projects are expected to create local capital expenditure of more than €110 million and

700 full-time jobs.

Moreover, Malta’s Cannabidiol (CBD) exports to European markets are projected to reach up to €900 million by 2022. Addressing the delegates at the Intercontinental Hotel, was Yone Levy, the CEO of an Israeli-owned large producer of cannabis products who represents Alvin – which has been granted land to build a massive ‘seed to pharma’ facility with its own nursery, run under strict EU-GMP conditions.

In Malta, Alvin will begin controlled cultivation on a rooftop facility that is expected to produce 14 tons of cannabis flowers annually. One may observe that local legislation gives an edge over other countries, as some countries still do not allow the production and supply of medical cannabis.

One has to mention that the beauty industry is also jumping on the bandwagon (Kim Kardashian launched CBD-infused products with great pomp at a recent baby shower), and at the moment CBD is one of the biggest buzz words one finds in the beauty spectrum. In fact, CBD oil is being used in a number of high-end creams, oils and even make-up products.

Malta Enterprise, on the other hand, has been busy meeting applications. It has already approved the use of a vast area of land for new facilities for investors who aim to cultivate and grow for export. As can be expected, the law talks of strict security systems in order to prevent the unauthorised movement of cannabis material and only authorised personnel will be allowed to access specific designated areas. Waste material must be treated with great care and has to be stored in a lockable container.

One could ask what the advantages are for patients who whom the use of CBD oils is prescribed. The answer is that it may provide a new-found relief for people afflicted by certain illnesses. Naturally, mains in doubt: the issue concerning the lack of information by doctors regarding the use of medicinal cannabis. Patients often comment on the limited knowledge of medical practitioners and apart from this, the price for high-quality medicinal cannabis is quite costly for patients. Some patients have expressed their dismay after discovering that some variants cost as much as €17 a gram, giving rise to a number of concerns regarding the affordability of this product by the general public.

Furthermore, one cannot separate the use of cannabis from its long history as an illegal substance, a theme which is very often abused. Stigmatisation of the use of this drug is a strong deterrent for many healthcare providers and this uncertainty will only slow down the use of the product. Indeed, members of the public need to be better informed, with perhaps the introduction of open discussions regarding the use of cannabis.

In addition, continuous educational programmes for medical practitioners are also a must in order to remove the general stigma concerning its use. It is noteworthy that Dr Deo Debattista (a Member of Parliament who heads the Medicines Authority) has also endorsed the launch of the theme at the conference.

The speakers all agreed that the opportunities for using cannabis go beyond medical purposes. The question remains: will this nascent industry find the necessary support from the banks to grow and become mainstream?