Cap. 101 Art. 2Interpretation.

(1) In this Ordinance unless the context otherwise requires -

"coca leaves" means the leaves of the Erythroxylum Coca and the (Morris) Lamarek Erythroxylum Novogranatense and their varieties belonging to the family of Hieronymus Erythroxylaceae and the leaves of other species of this genus from which cocaine can be extracted either directly or by chemical transformation; "Cannabis" means the inflorescence and leaves of any plant of the genus Cannabis and includes any resin obtained from the said plant and any preparations derived from the said plant, but does not include its seeds, or inflorescence, leaves, extracts and products derived from non-psychoactive phytocannabinoids containing not more than zero point two (0.2) percent of psychoactive cannabinoids: Provided that synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoid products, in any form or manner of presentation, including but not limited to any matter originally derived from the cannabis plant which has been processed, refined or otherwise chemically altered, as well as manufactured products, edible products, liquids, powders, or vapourisable substances, shall be deemed to constitute a prohibited drug punishable in the same manner and to the same extent as offences relating to cannabis; "drug" means any of the following:

(i) a substance covered by the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, or by the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances;

(ii) any of the substances listed in the Annex to the Council Framework Directive 2004/757/JHA; "export", with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, in relation to Malta, means to take or cause to be taken out of Malta in any manner whatsoever;

"import", with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, in relation to Malta, means to bring or cause to be brought into Malta in any manner whatsoever; "medicinal opium" means raw opium which has undergone the processes necessary to adapt it for medicinal use in accordance with the requirements of the British Pharmacopoeia, whether it is in the form of powder or is granulated or is in any other form and whether it is or is not mixed with neutral materials; "new psychoactive substance" means a substance in pure form or in a preparation that is not covered by the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, or by the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances which may pose health or social risks similar to those posed by the substances covered by those Conventions; ""non-psychoactive phytocannabinoids" means such products as the Minister responsible for the Authority on the Responsible Use of

Cannabis Act may by regulations, from time to time, include in Part I of the Fifth Schedule to this Ordinance; "preparation" means a mixture containing one or more new psychoactive substances; "prepared opium" means opium prepared for smoking and includes dross and any other residues remaining after opium has been smoked; " "psychoactive cannabinoids" means such products as the Minister responsible for the Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis Act may by regulations, from time to time, include in Part II of the Fifth Schedule to this Ordinance;

"raw opium" means the spontaneously coagulated juice obtained from the capsules of the L., which has only Papaver Somniferum been submitted to the necessary manipulations for packing and transport, whatever its content of morphine; "synthetic cannabinoids" means fully synthetic or semi-synthetic cannabinoids, whether or not they occur naturally in trace amounts in the cannabis plant, that are chemically processed or refined to act on cannabinoid receptors and produce psychoactive effects, as the Minister responsible for the Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis Act may, by regulations made from time to time, include in Part III of the Fifth Schedule to this Ordinance; "the Single Convention" means the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs adopted at New York on the 30 March, 1961 as subsequently amended by the Protocol adopted in Geneva on the 25 March, 1972.

(2) In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to this Ordinance shall be deemed to include a reference to rules made thereunder.