Cannabis: The myth and medico-legal issues in current medical practice in Malaysia

Cannabis, also known by various names such as marijuana, ganja, grass, ‘sayur,’ ‘tarekDaun,’ Indian hemp, ‘Barang weed,’ joints, sticks, hashish, dope, pot, and weed in Malaysia (Harun, 2016) is a flowering plant that could produce at least 113 different cannabinoids with the most notable cannabinoids are the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis use had been backdated to 2900 B.C where it is mostly utilised for medical purposes. However, there are some misused for recreational purposes. Due to the socio-economic issues related to cannabis use, cannabis was prohibited worldwide. Not until recently, there is increasing questionable evidence proving the medical benefits of cannabis but also increasing evidence stating its adverse effect and debunking the myth related to cannabis use. Similar to the changes that occurred internationally, cannabis use in Malaysia had dated way before 1957, however, due to unregulated usage and social impact of drug abusers, cannabis was illegalized under Dangerous Drug Act 1952. It was accepted well until few judicial decisions that envisioned the use of medical cannabis is possible in Malaysia. Currently, despite the urge from public toward government to legalize cannabis in Malaysia, the law remains static and most likely remain the same until there is significant evidence that Medical Cannabis possesses more benefits to compare to its adverse effect.