Malaysia might beat Thailand to become the first Asian country to legalise marijuana for medical use.
In a meeting last week, the Malaysian government discussed the medicinal use and value of marijuana and has started informal discussion over amending related laws, said Xavier Jayakumar, Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources on 25 September, according to Bloomberg.
Earlier this year, South Asian country Thailand also started thinking along similar lines.
According to the Bloomberg report, the country’s Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, a part of its Ministry of Public Health, is also trying to get the permission of its military government to allow the study of marijuana in order to use it for medicinal purposes.
What Triggered the Malaysian Govt to Review the Law
The issue of legalising the drug for medicial use gained centrestage after a 29-year-old man was awarded death sentence for possession, procession and distribution of the drug. The cabinet later decided to remove capital punishment in his case.
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (93) had then suggested the need to review the verdict and the relevant law.
The report, quoting Xaviers said that although the cabinet reached consensus to scrape this man’s death penalty, gaining support for legalisation of medical marijuana would be “an uphill battle.”
“It will take a bit of encouragement and convincing as far as this topic is concerned. My own personal view is that if it’s got medicinal value, then it can be a controlled item that can be used by Ministry of Health for prescription purposes.”Xavier Jayakumar, Malaysian Minister told Bloomberg
The Canada Example & Malaysian Hurdle
The report also pointed that Canada has created a $60 billion-worth cannabis industry, ahead of legalising marijuana in October 2018.
Few US states and Germany has also been inspired by Canada, Bloomberg reported.
“It’s already been done in certain countries. If it’s going to be used for medicinal purposes, it can be used. Not for social purposes, for medicinal purposes – yes, it should be allowed to be used.”Xavier Jayakumar told Bloomberg
For Malaysia, the challenge will be to draft and amend laws in a way that it will differentiate between medical, recreational and other uses. This is important, the Bloomberg report pointed out, because the country imposed capital punishment for certain drug trafficking offences.
The Ministry of Health, however, is “skeptical” due to the “lack of proof” about the medicinal value of cannabis.
(With inputs from Bloomberg.)
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