VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Tourists caught smoking cannabis in public in Malta will face an on-the-spot fine of €235, Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield has announced.
Speaking during a post-budget news conference, Bedingfield said the measure was intended to strengthen enforcement of the existing ban on public cannabis consumption.
“I want to see more enforcement against those who do not respect the people around them and smoke cannabis in public against the law,” he said.
Although cannabis was legalised in Malta in 2021, smoking it in public places remains prohibited.
Bedingfield said 42 people had been caught violating the ban during the first nine months of the year. However, complaints from residents about public cannabis smoking have continued.
The €235 penalty will be incorporated into the On-the-Spot Fines (Non-habitual Residents) Regulations, introduced earlier this year to allow authorities to immediately penalise tourists for minor offences.
These include littering, public disturbance, public urination and wearing inappropriate clothing outside designated bathing areas.
More than 1,600 on-the-spot fines were issued for such offences within a two-month period.
Bedingfield said legislation introducing the cannabis penalty was currently being drafted and would be implemented through a legal notice.
Although no specific date has been announced, the minister said he wanted the measure to come into force as quickly as possible.
During the same news conference, Bedingfield also outlined a €488 million allocation for Malta’s disciplinary corps in 2027.
– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
