Govt Ponders Medical Cannabis Legalization

The government intends to review the legalization of cannabis, also known as marijuana or ganja, for medical purposes. Law and Human Rights Ministry's spokesperson Tubagus Erif Faturahman revealed that the government might change existing regulations on the matter. Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics, for example, categorizes cannabis as Schedule/Class I narcotics or a substance that is very likely to be abused and not useful for any health therapy. "The government must study it first," Erif said on Tuesday. The government will ask experts from various disciplines, such as health, social, to religion, about the pros and cons of legalizing medical cannabis.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives' (DPR) deputy chairman of the health commission Charles Honoris suggested that Indonesia should start studying the use of cannabis for medical purposes. "There are more than 50 countries around the globe that already have medical marijuana programs, including Malaysia and Thailand," he said.