'Malta will not become another Amsterdam': cannabis authority chair
Psychotherapist MARIELLA DIMECH has just been appointed the first executive chair of the authority on cannabis. She tells Mark Laurence Zammit how she plans to stifle the black market and raise awareness on cannabis use. You were against cannabis legalisation. I distinctly remember you advocating against it. You’re right. Back when I worked at Caritas I was concerned that legalisation would create a ‘free for all attitude’. I had just come back from rehabilitation training in the US, where we were taught a zero-tolerance, punitive approach towards drug rehabilitation. And I was very adamant about it during my time as programme coordinator at Caritas. But I learned from experience that it’s not the only way to go about it. And I now believe that a harm-reduction approach is also necessary. That is what this law does and what encouraged me to accept this role. Through this new authority, we have the opportunity to create a safe, balanced, responsible, informative and legal framework for the benefit of all. But are you still against cannabis legalisation? How can I be against a law and chair its authority? I’m not saying there are no addiction problems. They are still real and I...