According to Bloomberg, public outrage has pushed Malaysia's cabinet to discuss legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. Will we really see medical marijuana in Malaysia soon?
If discussions turned to action, Malaysia would be the first Asian country to pass this law.
But what has caused the discussion?
Medical Marijuana in Malaysia?
Well, last month we covered a story about a 29-year old man being handed the death penalty in Malaysia for cannabis possession and the administering of CBD. The news caused a fierce backlash in Malaysia, and now the subject has encouraged government talks about legalizing marijuana for medical use.
According to the Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources, Xavier Jayakumar, the cabinet "very briefly" discussed the medical potential of marijuana last week and have since begun informal talks on reforming relevant laws.
Starting
It is starting by overturning the aforementioned death penalty on the man convicted of possession. On this particular matter, the cabinet reached a consensus vote. However, to achieve enough support to fully legalize medical marijuana, Xavier is expecting an entirely different story. That issue will be "an uphill battle."
If it can be proven that cannabis holds medicinal value, then the minister believes it can be controlled and used for medical purposes. Specifically, "by the Ministry of Health for prescription purposes."
Challenging
Southeast Asia has some of the world's strictest drug trafficking laws, with the crime often worthy of the death penalty.
One issue in this matter is a lack of distinction made between marijuana and harder drugs such as cocaine or heroin. Under the eyes of the law, they all fall under the same category.
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To change the law, Malaysia will have to differentiate marijuana as a medical drug rather than a recreational drug or 'trafficked' drug. It will have to see the medical value in the drug and put it into its own class if you will.
The Ministry of Health will have the final say on the matter. Whilst Xavier believes cannabis has proven its ability in the healthcare sector, the majority of the ministry remains skeptical due to lack of proof.
However, Xavier is looking abroad and has noted what has been happening:
"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."
We may not see medical marijuana in Malaysia for some time, but at least the death penalty was overturned for that young man. That is indeed a good start.
Featured Image: Depositphotos/© yuliang11
