South Korea Becomes the First East Asia Country to Legalize Medical Marijuana

South Korea Medical Marijuana

It will come as a surprise to many that South Korea has become the first country in East Asia to legalize medical marijuana. 

The country's National Assembly voted to approve amending the Act on the Management of Narcotic Drugs. In doing so, it has allowed non-hallucinogenic medical cannabis to be prescribed on a case-by-case basis.

South Korea Medical Marijuana: Milestone Step

The decision is a milestone step in the cannabis industry and could have a knock-on effect in other traditionally conservative societies. In fact, South Korea was one of the stricter jurisdictions in Asia, and many expected it to be the last country to legalize marijuana, not the first.

There had been recent talks from Thailand about embracing medical marijuana, and many expected it to be the first to loosen its restrictions.

Strict Rules

The central government's approval is seen as a step in the right direction. But medical marijuana will still be tightly restricted, with only minute levels of THC permissible under law.

Also, the process of getting the drug may be considered cumbersome; patients must apply to the Korea Orphan Drug Center—a government body established to facilitate patient access to rare medicines in the country. They will also need to have a prescription from a medical practitioner when applying.

As stated earlier, approval for medical marijuana in South Korea would be granted on a case-by-case basis.

A change was in the air back in July, when the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety allowed the use of drugs such as Epidiolex, Marinol, Cesamet, and Sativex for specific conditions including epilepsy.

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Asia

Asia has been heavily watched by the industry as it shows signs of changing its strict stance towards cannabis. Thailand recently spoke about allowing medical cannabis, and Malaysia has reduced its punishments significantly for those who are caught using or selling. 

As Vijay Sappani, CEO of Toronto-based Ela Capital, puts it:

“The importance of Korea being the first country in East Asia to allow medical cannabis at a federal level should not be understated. Now it’s a matter of when other Asian countries follow South Korea, not if.”

Featured Image: Depositphotos/© Kagenmi

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