On cannabis, we should be pressing the brake… not the gas | Anthony Gatt Government’s plans to further decriminalise recreational cannabis has been met with resistance. Dr ANTHONY GATT, director of Caritas Malta, outlines why this new approach could end up inadvertently ‘promoting’ a not-entirely harmless drug. He was interviewed on Reno Bugeja Jistaqsi 12 April 2021, 12:50pm by MaltaToday Staff Caritas is among a number of professional to have publicly opposed the government’s White Paper on cannabis reform. Can you explain exactly what your objections are? We are worried about three aspects, first and foremost. The first is that the proposed changes may have the indirect, unintentional effect ‘popularising’ the drug. When certain limits are removed, the public perception of cannabis will also gradually change: especially among adolescents. Already, we are encountering parents whose children are telling them: “Ma, Pa, why are you worrying? Cannabis is harmless, you know. They’re even going to make it legal.” And when they use this kind of terminology, those parents are stuck for an answer.