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Yes, weed is legal in Malta for adults, but only within strict limits. Since December 2021, people aged 18 and over can carry up to 7 grams, keep up to 50 grams at home and grow up to four plants per household.
There are no cannabis shops, public use is fined, and the only lawful supply comes from licensed non-profit associations. This guide explains Malta’s cannabis laws, where you can get weed, the penalties outside the limits, medical cannabis, CBD, and what tourists need to know.
Is weed legal in Malta for recreational use?
Yes, recreational weed is legal in Malta within set limits. Malta legalised limited adult use in December 2021 through the Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis Act, alongside amendments to its drug dependence and dangerous drugs laws.
For an adult, carrying up to 7 grams of cannabis does not constitute an offence. At home, an adult may keep up to 50 grams of dried cannabis for personal use, at the address shown on their official identity document.
It is important to be clear about what this does and does not allow. The 7 gram rule means possession is not an offence. It is not permission to buy cannabis from anyone who offers it, and there is no retail sale in Malta.
Using cannabis in public remains prohibited. So does using it in front of a child, which carries a heavier fine.
Can you grow weed at home in Malta?
Yes. Adults may grow up to four cannabis plants at their registered home address. The limit is four plants per household, regardless of how many adults live there.
The plants must not be visible to the public and must not cause an odour nuisance. A 2025 amendment added fines for plants that are visible or accessible, and a higher fine for growing anywhere other than the registered address.
Where can you buy weed in Malta?
You cannot buy weed in a shop in Malta, because there are none. The only lawful source of cannabis, apart from growing your own, is a licensed non-profit cannabis association, often called a cannabis social club.
Associations are licensed by the Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis and operate under statutory limits. Each may have at most 500 members, all aged 18 or over, and nobody may belong to more than one association. A member can receive no more than 7 grams a day and 50 grams a month, plus up to 20 seeds a month, and distribution is to members only.
Association premises must be at least 250 metres from a school or youth centre. The first two associations received operational licences in October 2023, and a 2026 regulation now caps how much stock an association may hold at its distribution site.
Buying from anyone else remains a drug offence. Street supply is illegal whatever the quantity, and the legal limits protect the buyer’s possession, not the transaction.
What are the penalties under Malta weed laws?
Penalties under Malta weed laws start where the permitted limits end. Most minor breaches are handled with fines rather than criminal prosecution.
Carrying more than 7 grams but not more than 28 grams is dealt with by the Commissioner for Justice rather than a criminal court, with a fine. Above 28 grams, the ordinary drug offences apply. Using cannabis in public brings a fixed fine, and using it in front of a minor brings a higher one.
Since 2025, synthetic cannabinoids such as HHC and THC-P are treated as cannabis for the purposes of the law. People under 18 found with cannabis are summoned before the Commissioner for Justice.
Penalties at a glance
| Conduct | Governing law | General penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Carrying up to 7 g (adult) | Cap. 537, as amended 2021 | Not an offence |
| Carrying more than 7 g, up to 28 g | Cap. 537 | Fine before the Commissioner for Justice |
| Carrying more than 28 g | Ordinary drug law | Ordinary drug offences apply |
| Using in public, or in front of a minor | Cap. 537 | Fixed fine, higher in front of a minor |
| Growing plants that are visible, or away from the registered home | Cap. 537, as amended 2025 | Fines |
Is medical marijuana legal in Malta?
Yes, medical marijuana is legal in Malta and has been since 2018. Any licensed doctor may prescribe a licensed or GMP-certified cannabis product where no suitable alternative treatment exists, with approval from the Superintendence of Public Health.
The Malta Medicines Authority oversees import and wholesale and maintains the list of approved medicinal cannabis products. Medical use is a separate route from the recreational framework, running through doctors and pharmacies rather than associations.
Is CBD legal in Malta?
CBD products can be legal in Malta, but it depends on the product. Since May 2025, cannabis material and products with no more than 0.2% psychoactive cannabinoids have been excluded from the legal definition of cannabis.
That change has already been applied by the courts. A magistrate has since dismissed charges after imported material tested below the 0.2% limit.
CBD sold as food or supplements is a separate question. Under EU rules, CBD food products still need novel food authorisation. The US State Department also advises that bringing cannabis or CBD products into Malta is illegal. Travellers should not pack CBD, even if the product would be lawful once in the country.
Can you smoke weed in Malta as a tourist?
Tourists should not rely on Malta’s cannabis rules. The statute refers to any person over 18, with no residency test. But the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office states in its Malta travel advice that possession of up to 7 grams is legal for Maltese residents only.
Smoking in public is fined whoever you are. Visitors also have no practical lawful way to obtain cannabis, since associations serve registered members, and no official source confirms that tourists can join.
Bringing cannabis into Malta is a crime. In 2023 a visitor was fined for arriving with about half a gram and some edibles. The FCDO warns that possessing or smuggling drugs, including when transiting through the airport, can lead to long jail sentences and heavy fines, and that Schengen bans of up to five years may follow.
Non-residents charged with possession offences can also be held until a fine is paid.
The bottom line on cannabis in Malta
Weed is legal in Malta for adults within limits: 7 grams carried, 50 grams at home and four plants per household. There are no shops, and the only lawful supply is a licensed non-profit association for its members.
Medical cannabis has been available on prescription since 2018, and low-THC products at or below 0.2% are outside the cannabis definition. For tourists, the safe reading is the strict one: do not bring cannabis into Malta, do not smoke in public, and do not plan to buy.
Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Cannabis laws change frequently, always verify current rules with official sources before you travel.
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