Maltese economy minister shares medical cannabis vision​

Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses Chris Cardona shared the Maltese government’s vision for the medical cannabis manufacturing industry during a seminar held by Malta Enterprise entitled “Medical Cannabis: Our Common Strategy”, according to a press statement issued by the government’s Department of Information (DOI).

The establishment of a stakeholders’ partnership will proactively foresee and overcome any challenges before they become issues and it is necessary for maintaining Malta’s competitive edge in this growing and increasingly competitive industry, the minister said. In fact, the seminar hosted by Malta Enterprise was held with the goal of bringing together the current letter of intent (LOI) holders together, in order to start a longstanding partnership.

“Present efforts are concentrated on establishing an enabling infrastructure that ensures smooth operations. At the next level, we want Malta to be a research centre for medical cannabis, and to this effect, we want to see research into product development, new therapeutic strains, new product formulations, and clinical research happen in Malta. We also want to make sure that intellectual property generated in Malta can be protected in Malta,” said Mr Cardona. “The creation and consolidation of a strong peripheral industry which can service and supply both the local cluster as well as facilities beyond our shores will then be pursued,” he added.

“All of us are aware of the fast-changing scenario within the medical cannabis space. Malta Enterprise, together with our stakeholders, needs to keep a watchful eye to ensure that Malta consolidates its position as a leader in the sector”, said Mr Cardona.