Malaysian medical practitioners say they do not support the use of cannabis for chronic pain, palliative care, or cancer patients, due to currently insufficient clinical evidence.
USM’s National Poison Centre director Nur Azzalia Kamaruzaman says under the Dangerous Drugs Act, MOH can authorise “pegawai awam” to research cannabis, but academics are “penjawat awam” and hence, couldn't get approval to study even hemp since 2018.
Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman says evidence-based thresholds must be determined for personal use versus trafficking, so that people caught in possession of drugs with amounts that are compatible with personal use, rather than sale, can be linked to treatment.
The Dangerous Drugs Act does not distinguish between different marijuana products by their THC content, simply banning cannabis as a whole, defined as “any part” containing resin of any cannabis plant.
Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali says Cabinet will decide on the need to amend the Dangerous Drugs Act, including creating different definitions for cannabis and hemp, depending on the MOH cannabis and ketum committee’s findings.
In an Aug 22-25 official trip to Bangkok, Khairy Jamaluddin will visit Siam Cannabis Land, Bumrungrad International Hospital, and the Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry, besides attending APEC’s High-Level Meeting on Health and Economy.
People jailed for drug abuse are 8x more likely to die the year after release than those with the same risk factors who weren't incarcerated, says Prof Dr Frederick Altice.
Khairy Jamaluddin says he is convinced with the medical evidence for CBD and that MOH is looking at prescription medicines, not self-medication or recreational use of marijuana.