Moviment Graffitti has hailed the proposed cannabis reform tabled in Parliament by Prime Minister Robert Abela, describing it as a “welcome development” in the fight for more and better civil liberties.

In a statement, the group highlighted the shift in mentality whereby the law no longer considers cannabis users as criminals, focusing instead on the regulation of cannabis for personal cultivation and consumption.

Moreover, the reform will give consumers the right to cultivate up to four plants. “This is a positive measure which will allow individuals to grow cannabis freely without having to depend on businesses, therefore protecting the market from excessive commercialisation.

Moreover, this measure will shield users from the criminal market, allowing law enforcement to focus on large-scale trafficking and organisations involved in the trade of illicit substances instead of harassing people for minor amounts intended for personal use,” the group said. “The proposed changes – particularly government’s commitment to find legal sources for the purchase of seeds – will also ensure that young adults can make use of cannabis without resorting to potentially criminal sources.”

Moviment Graffitti notes, however, that no mention has been made of people currently serving prison time for the cultivation of amounts of cannabis which would become perfectly legal under the new law. In view of the atrocious situation in the prisons due not only to overcrowding but also to the excessively zealous gestation of Col Alex Dalli, the group calls for the release of such prisoners, who are victims of a delay in the reforms.

The group has also called on the creation of a social equity programme, to ensure that those who have been negatively impacted by the old regime are given assistance, through education, training and job schemes, to integrate once again into society.

The cannabis reform has been one of Moviment Graffitti’s first historical battles, also through the co-authoring of a manifesto on the legalisation of cannabis with Releaf. “For a long time, Moviment Graffitti was the only voice in favour of legalisation in Malta, and we’re pleased to see that a number of proposals in that manifesto are now going to be transposed into law.”

Moviment Graffitti also sends it congratulations to cannabis advocacy NGO Releaf, whose painstaking efforts in the field have made this reform possible. “This is further proof that pressure from civil society and citizens can bring about positive change,” the group said.

Il-Moviment Graffitti jilqa’ b’sodisfazzjon ir-riforma proposta dwar il-kannabis ippreżentata  fil-Parlament mill-Prim Ministru Robert Abela, u ddeskriviha bħala “żvilupp pożittiv” fil-ġlieda għal aktar libertajiet ċivili itjeb.

Fi stqarrija, il-grupp irrefera għall-bidla fil-mentalità fejn il-liġi llum il-ġurnata m’għadhiex tqis lil min juża l-kannabis bħala kriminal, imma minflok qed tagħti iktar importanza lir-regolarizzazzjoni tal-kannabis għall-kultivazzjoni u l-konsum personali.

Barra minn hekk, ir-riforma se tagħti lill-konsumaturi d-dritt li jikkultivaw sa erba’ pjanti. “Din hija miżura pożittiva li se tippermetti lil indvidwi biex ikabbru l-kannabis b’mod ħieles mingħajr ma jiddependu fuq intrapriżi privati, b’hekk tkun qed tipproteġi s-suq mill-kummerċjalizzazzjoni eċċessiva tiegħu.”

Din il-miżura se tkun ukoll qed tħares lil dawk li jużaw il-kannabis mis-suq kriminali, billi dawk li jinfurzaw il-liġi se jkunu qed jitħallew jiffokaw fuq traffikar ta’ drogi fuq skala kbira u fuq organizzazzjonijiet involuti fil-bejgħ ta’ sustanzi illegali minflok joqogħdu  jaqbdu ma’ dawk li jkollhom ammonti zgħar għall-użu personali”, qal il-grupp. “Il-bidliet proposti – speċjalment l-impenn tal-gvern biex isib sorsi legali għax-xiri taż-żerriegħa – se jkunu qed jiżguraw li persuni adulti jkunu jistgħu jużaw il-kannabis mingħajr ma jkollhom għalfejn jirrikorru għal sorsi potenzjalment kriminali”.

Il-Moviment Graffitti jinnota madanakollu, li ma saret ebda referenza għal persuni li bħalissa qegħdin il-ħabs minħabba l-kultivazzjoni ta’ ammonti żgħar ta’ kannabis li se jkunu kompletament legali b’din ir-riforma. Fil-kuntest tas-sitwazzjoni atroċi li hemm il-ħabs bħalissa mhux biss minħabba n-numru kbir ta’ ħabsin li hemm imma wkoll minħabba l-ġestjoni estrema tal-Kurunell Alex Dalli, il-grupp isejjaħ għall-ħelsien ta’ dawn il-priġunieri, li huma vittmi tad-dewmien li kien hemm biex isiru dawn ir-riformi.

Il-grupp sejjaħ ukoll għall-ħolqien ta’ programm soċjali, li jara li dawk li ġew milquta b’mod negattv mill-istrutturi legali tal-passat, ikunu mgħejjuna, permezz ta’ skemi edukattivi, ta’ stħarriġ u impjieg, biex ikunu jistgħu jerġgħu jintegraw fis-soċjetà.

Ir-riforma tal-kannabis kienet waħda mill-ewwel battalji fl-istorja tal-Moviment Graffitti, li wkoll kienu l-ko-awturi, flimkien ma Releaf, ta’ manifest dwar il-legalizzazzjoni tal-kannabis. “Għal ħafna żmien, il-Moviment Graffitti kien l-unika vuċi favur il-legalizzazzjoni tal-kannabis f’Malta, u nieħdu gost naraw li numru ta’ proposti f’dan il-manifest se jkunu inkorporati f’din il-liġi proposta”.

Il-Moviment Graffitti jixtieq jibgħat l-awgurju tiegħu lill-għaqda Releaf, li taħdem favur il-legalizzazzjoni tal-kannabis, għax kienu l-isforzi tagħha li wasslu biex din ir-riforma tista’ ssir. “Din hija prova oħra li l-pressjoni tas-soċjetà ċivili u taċ-ċittadini tista’ ġġib bidla pożittiva”, żied jgħid il-grupp.