Cannabis in Malta

Malta became the first country in Europe to legalize cannabis for personal use. Act LXVI of 2021, which created Chapter 628 of the Laws of Malta, came into force on December 18, 2021. It did not create shops. Instead it allows adults to possess and grow small amounts, and it lets residents obtain cannabis through non-profit Cannabis Harm Reduction Associations (CHRAs) licensed by a new regulator, the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC).

For individuals, the rules are specific. An adult may carry up to 7 grams without committing a crime; between 7 and 28 grams the case goes to a tribunal and the fine is €50 to €100. At home, an adult may grow up to four plants and keep up to 50 grams of dried cannabis, provided the plants cannot be seen from outside. Using cannabis in public brings a €235 fine, and using it in front of a minor brings €300 to €500.

The associations are the only legal source. Each is a non-profit that must grow everything it distributes, from seed to sale, and cannot buy from outside. Members must be adults resident in Malta, proven with a Maltese ID or residence card, and may belong to one association at a time. Supply is capped at 7 grams a day and 50 grams a month. Consumption and alcohol are banned on association premises, advertising is prohibited, and premises must be at least 250 meters from schools, clubs and youth centres. ARUC's licence fees rise with membership size up to a 500-member tier, and associations must put part of their income into harm reduction and community projects. The first two operating licences were granted in October 2023; by September 2026 the ARUC registry listed more than 20 associations with operating permits.

Parliament tightened and extended the framework in May 2025 with Bill 128. Associations may now produce solventless resin, counted at three grams of flower for every gram of resin within the same limits. The €235 fine now also covers consumption anywhere the smell causes a nuisance to others, including private homes after neighbor complaints, and growing plants outside the home can bring fines of up to €1,000. Associations that allow minors inside face fines of up to €10,000 and must share membership lists with ARUC.

What visitors should know: tourists cannot join an association, so there is no legal way for a visitor to buy cannabis in Malta. Medical cannabis follows a separate prescription route outside this framework. This page summarizes the law as reported in September 2026 and is not legal advice.