🇲🇹 Malta Overview
In 2015, Malta first decriminalised the possession of cannabis of under 3.5 grams. During this period, persons found with less than this amount were subject to fines ranging from €50 – €100. Following this period in March 2021, the Maltese government published a white paper, Towards the Strengthening of the Legal Framework on the Responsible Use of Cannabis, which claimed that cannabis use was found throughout numerous social groups in the country and proposed that cannabis should be further decriminalised in the interest of harm reduction and criminality.
Following the publication of the white paper, governmental parties and NGOs held public consultations to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of decriminalising and legalising cannabis. Members of the ruling Labour party supported legalisation to combat the illicit market, whereas Sedqa (the government’s anti-addiction agency) and the Malta Psychiatry Association stood in opposition.
In October 2021, the first draft of the bill for cannabis reform was proposed to the government, which sought to legalise home cultivation, the possession of 7 grams of cannabis, as well as the establishment of cannabis associations. On 14 December 2021, the parliament approved the bill, making Malta the first country to legalise cannabis in the EU.
Following the legalisation, there are currently 19 cannabis associations with operating permits issued by the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC).
🇲🇹 Personal Consumption Regulations
In terms of cannabis possession, it is legal for adults 18 and above to possess 7 grams, with persons holding over 7 grams to 28 grams being subject to an infringement with the possibility of being tried by the Commissioner for Justice.
Persons who previously held a criminal offence for possession which would now be legal or decriminalised can send an application to deregister their conviction from their record.
Consumption of cannabis may only occur in private spaces, however, public consumption and consumption in front of a minor is subject to fines and penalties.
Adults may also cultivate up to 4 plants in a residence and have no more than 50 grams in the residence. Cultivation may not be visible to the public.
🇲🇹 Cannabis Association Regulations
Cannabis Harm Reduction Associations (CHRA) are overseen and licensed by the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC). Every CHRA has to be registered and licensed by the ARUC.
CHRA’s are prohibited from advertising or promoting themselves and must comply with strict compliance and monitoring standards and have to provide annual financial reports.
CHRAs must be non-profit, located at least 250m from schools, clubs, and youth centres, and may only distribute cannabis flowers to members, who must be residents and over the age of 18. The cannabis distributed must be packaged in tamper-evident and child-resistant packaging and include labelling and health warnings as prescribed by ARUC. Additionally, the consumption of cannabis and alcohol is prohibited on the site.
CHRA’s may only distribute cannabis on their permitted distribution sites and must pay a yearly licence fee based on the number of members, with the maximum number of members set to 500. Annual licence fees are:
- 0 – 50 members - €1,000
- 51 – 100 members - €5,000
- 101 – 250 members - €13,000
- 251 – 350 members - €18,000
- 351 – 500 members - €26,000
CHRA’s may dispense the maximum daily limit of 7 grams of dried cannabis flowers (inflorescence) with a maximum monthly limit of 50 grams to its members. Members under 21 are only allowed to purchase cannabis under 18% THC.
For more information on CHRA regulations, visit the ARUC website here.
🇲🇹 Cannabis Cultivation Associations
The first sales by an operational not-for-profit cannabis association began in Malta in late January 2024. Due to setbacks, ministerial changes and regulatory updates it took over two years for the country to witness its first adult-use cannabis sales in CHRAs. However, by the end of January 2024, the country’s licenced CHRA, KDD Society (KDD), began to distribute its first legal adult-use cannabis to its members.
Within a week into its first sales, KDD reached its full membership capacity of 250, highlighting the strong appetite for adult-use cannabis in the country. As of April 2025, there are 19 CHRAs with operating permits.