KUALA LUMPUR: As a psychiatrist and drug addiction specialist, Associate Professor Dr Rusdi Abd Rashid has seen the adverse effects of marijuana on patients and how it can induce psychosis in those with schizophrenia and other mental disorders.
So she was surprised to see how she calmed the severely autistic child of a patient who was depressed because she could not cope with her child’s condition.
“She (had) given CBD (cannabidiol) oil to her son, just put a few drops under her tongue every day, and found the child to become less hyperactive and show less disturbing behavior,” the doctor said. Rusdi, who is the director of the Center for Addiction Sciences at the University of Malaya.
Dr. Rusdi was curious about the possible medical benefits and applications of cannabis, especially CBD, the non-psychogenic part of the plant, and wondered if CBD oil would work in older people with severe autism.
His desire and that of other researchers to discover the medical benefits of cannabis and kratom, a lesser-known psychotropic drug closely related to opium, is helping to fuel the debate over the legalization of the two drugs in Malaysia, a country that convicts anyone convicted of drug trafficking. to die.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1952, possession of more than 200 grams of cannabis or cannabis resin is proof of intent to distribute them and anyone caught with the amount will face the death penalty. if convicted.
As for kratom, the drug is included in the Poisons Act of 1952. Although it is not considered a narcotic and its cultivation and use are permitted, the sale of the drug is prohibited unless authorized by agents.
This means that if Dr. Rusdi tries to study whether CBD oil is effective in treating behavior problems by conducting his own experiments with CBD oil, he runs the risk of the death penalty.
But things may be changing on this front.
After the World Health Organization (WHO) removed medical marijuana from its list of dangerous drugs, Malaysia is considering legalizing the use, sale and distribution of cannabis and kratom for medicinal use through the formation of a bipartisan caucus to study the regulatory issues involved. .
On November 9, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told Dewan Rakyat that the consumption of cannabis was allowed for medical purposes in accordance with current laws, saying that the products should be registered with the Control Authority. Drugs of the Ministry of Health (MOH).
He said sellers must have licenses and permits under the Drugs and Cosmetics Control Regulations 1984, the Poisons Act and the Dangerous Drugs Act, to import and sell cannabis products in Malaysia. Only medical personnel registered under the Medical Act of 1971 may dispense the products.
“Cannabis (hemp) is also listed in List 1 of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961. Annex 1 limits the use of cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes involving production, manufacture, export, import, distribution, trade, use and ownership “. He said.
Many experts are aware of this provision, but say they are reluctant to seek approval from the Ministry of Health as the process is too difficult.
Dr. Rusdi said that even if researchers succeed in convincing the committee to approve the merits of their study on the medical use of cannabis, it is often too expensive to continue, as they should buy cannabis, rather than cultivate it. -they themselves, as it involves another. approval process. However, with Khairy’s announcement, many have decided to try their luck again.
The caucus, of which Kuching Member of Parliament (MP) Kuching Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen is a member, hopes to study this issue and come up with a solid strategy to legalize and regulate cannabis and kratom.
When we talk about legalizing (cannabis), it’s not about having it widespread in the open market … you know the perception that everyone smokes and takes drugs and everything. But it is for regulation, so it is used strictly for its medicinal and economic properties, ”he said.
He said legalizing the use of these plants for medicinal purposes will provide economic and health benefits to the country and reduce drug sales on the black market while ensuring that the product is safe for consumption.
Some of the possible benefits of cannabis are found in its use as analgesics, muscle relaxants, antiemetics (antinausis) and anticonvulsants (anticonvulsants). It can also help in the treatment of substance abuse.
“(With legalization) there is an element of control, we can control its implementation, we can record it, we can control production and sales and assess the constant impact,” added Dr. Yii.
The director of the Drug Research Center at Sains University of Malaysia, Professor Dr B. Vicknasingam, sees the economic benefits of growing and selling cannabis and kratom in the international market, but believes Malaysia should lead the way in kratom research due to its long history of use in traditional medicine.
Unlike cannabis, in Malaysia there are fewer obstacles to studying kratom and its properties.
“We have an advantage here. We always tell people interested in doing research on marijuana and cannabis (that) the western world has an advantage and they already have products out there, ”he said.
One of the aspects he would like to study is the potential of kratom as an analgesic and for treating substance abuse.
Should it be legalized, Malaysia would follow the example of many countries that have legalized cannabis and would be the second country in Southeast Asia, after Thailand, to legalize cannabis and kratom for medical purposes.
There will be changes in many sectors with the legalization of medical cannabis and kratom.
All the experts Bernama spoke to, from lawyers to doctors and anti-drug activists, supported medical marijuana. However, their support came with a warning: regulation must be strict to prevent any abuse once the cultivation and sale of drugs are legally permitted for medicinal purposes.
It’s no secret that the cannabis market is worth billions of dollars and kratom is possibly worth as much. Such a high payday tends to attract bad actors.
Human rights lawyer Samantha Chong said Malaysia could use Colorado’s example in the United States on how to grow, process and dispense cannabis, while acknowledging that the government should adapt the Colorado model to society and the culture of Malaysia.
He described his trip to study the cannabis industry in the mountain state of the United States as “an opening of the eyes,” he said the industry involved all sectors, from licensing, environmental impact, law enforcement , worker safety, transport safety and sales.
“All cannabis plants are strictly controlled by CCTV and each plant is tagged with its own RFID barcode … each cannabis plant can be tracked from the crop to the dispensary,” he said.
He added that Colorado’s revenue from marijuana sales was used to fund social services and train staff for the industry.
From a legal standpoint, legal experts say the law needs to change to reflect the new status quo, such as removing cannabis from the Annex I drug list and perhaps moving it to the Act. of poisons, by virtue of which kratom appears.
Chong said laws are also needed to prevent abuse of power, as well as updating other laws, such as the Drug Addiction (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act of 1983, the Sale of Property Act of 1957 and the Prisons Act of 1995. .
The government will also have to prepare to commute the sentences of prisoners who have received the death penalty for cannabis use for medicinal purposes.
“In case any amendment is made, they should apply it retrospectively and then it could be applied to cases like the one involving Amiruddin,” said Ramkarpal Singh, Bukit Gelugor MP and also Amiruddin Nadarajan’s defense lawyer. Abdullah, or better known as Amiruddin. Dr. Ganja, the 63-year-old cancer patient who faces the death penalty if convicted of cannabis trafficking.
From a medical perspective, experts see the need for changes in the way the government approaches addiction and rehabilitation, which currently employs a more punitive method.
Medical experts do not believe it would be too difficult to allow the use of medical cannabis and kratom, saying the government could use the existing prescription framework for drugs containing controlled substances, such as opioids and methadone.
Dr. Rusdi said the current method involves a diagnosis and prescription from a trained and certified physician. The patient then obtains the prescription at registered pharmacies.
Patients must also carry a medical card stating that the controlled substance has been prescribed to them and who, in case they are detained by law enforcement officers at any time.
Dr. Rusdi does not find it too difficult to prevent the abuse of medicinal cannabis and kratom.
“If there is no proper diagnosis and we suspect they are just recreational users, then we will not give any prescription,” he said.
Hemp and marijuana are cannabis, except that hemp refers to any cannabis plant that contains 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical that causes an increase. All cannabis plants (C. sativa, C. indica and C. ruderalis) contain different degrees of THC and cannabidiol (CBD).
Medical researchers and scientists are more interested in CBD, which is the compound found mainly in hemp, a specific type of plant C. sativa. Limited studies indicate medical benefits. The leaves and flowers of the hemp plant are used to make CBD oil, a common ingredient in many wellness products, such as skin care.
Hemp is also used to make paper, clothing, rope and sails.
Kratom is a common plant in Southeast Asia and has been used in traditional medicine in this part of the world for hundreds of years. Closely related to opium, it is gaining popularity in the United States, especially for reducing opioid withdrawal symptoms, a potential game changer in the country’s efforts to control its opioid crisis.
So far, no one has overdosed on kratom in Malaysia. In the United States, deaths from kratom use occurred when mixed with other drugs and medications such as antihistamines.-Bernama
