Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin delivers a speech at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur November 16, 2021. — Picture by Hari Anggara
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 — Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is encouraging those who have the knowledge and scientific proof of a product that includes marijuana for medical purposes to register said product with the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) for evaluation.
In his winding up speech in Parliament, Khairy said that once the product is evaluated by NPRA, it will be registered under the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984 before being marketed in the country.
He added the use of medical marijuana is permissible in Malaysia as it does not violate the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Poisons Act 1952 or the Sale of Drugs Act 1952.
“If there is sufficient scientific evidence to use marijuana for medical purposes, taking into account the quality, safety and efficacy aspects, the registration of the product for the purpose of medication may be submitted to the NPRA for evaluation and registration under the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984 and subsequently to be marketed in Malaysia.
“Currently, there are no cannabis-based products for human medical treatment that are registered in Malaysia. The NPRA registered a cannabis-based product called Sativex in 2014. However, at the company’s own request, the registration of this product was cancelled in 2017,” he said.
In September, Syed Saddiq asked the government to look into legalising medical marijuana and hemp.
At the time, he said that the government should not avoid discourse on the topic purely due to societal sensitivities, and instead be guided by studies based on data and science.