Although possession of cannabis can still potentially be punished by death in Malaysia, government officials seem serious about legalizing it for medical purposes. And to create a legal framework for its legalization, they will look to take lessons from neighbouring Thailand’s cannabis laws, a health ministry official said yesterday.
The statement follow news that the Thai health minister will be meeting with his Malaysian counterpart at the APEC meeting of health ministers in Bangkok next week, during which Thailand will present its finding on the impact of medical marijuana legalization.
Thailand, which has a long history of using cannabis to relieve pain and stress, legalised medicinal marijuana in 2018 and became the first country in Asia to decriminalise marijuana production and its consumption in food and drink.
“We are developing our own framework for the usage of cannabis for medical purposes, and want to learn from Thailand,” the Malaysian official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
He noted that the Malaysian government was eager to learn from Thailand’s framework for medical use.
Marijuana cultivation and recreational use are officially prohibited in Malaysia, and anyone found in possession of 200 kilograms of the substance will be sentenced to death.
However, according to Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, if medical marijuana were registered and licenced with the Drug Control Authority, it would be legal to import…