WHILE lawmakers are looking into the possibility of using cannabis for medical purposes, a researcher remains sceptical of its potential to treat psychiatric problems.

Although cannabis is used in some countries as an alternative treatment to treat depression, a comprehensive study on it still does not exist, said neuroscience researcher Associate Prof Dr Mohamad Aris Mohd Moklas.

“Abroad, individuals take cannabis as an alternative treatment to overcome bipolar treatment but there is no conclusive data that cannabis can reduce the side effects of bipolar disorder.

“So far there is no firm conclusion on this with individuals taking cannabis as treatment, believing that it can reduce nervousness and depressive symptoms,” the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) researcher told The Malaysian Insight.

The issue became a heated debate recently after singer and composer Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman faced the death penalty cultivating cannabis plants and trafficking the drug.

In 2009, Yasin revealed that he suffered from chronic bipolar disorder and had undergone treatment at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital.

Psychiatric treatment is one of his defences in facing the charges under the Dangerous Drugs Act.

Statistics of the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) in 2019 showed nearly half a million people in the country suffer from depression.

During the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic period, mental health problems among Malaysians were found to be getting worse when the suicide statistics showed an increasing trend.

Police statistics showed that in 2020 alone, 631 cases of suicide were recorded, compared to 2019 with 609 cases. As of March 2021, 336 suicides were recorded.
 

Risk of addiction

Commenting further on the potential of cannabis to treat bipolar disorder, Aris said uncontrolled cannabis use would result in the risk of addiction to patients.

“Bipolar disorder is not the same between individuals so in terms of treatment, specialists know the best treatment. Sometimes if you take cannabis without control it can get worse.

“Cannabis use can reduce pain but uncontrolled use will cause addiction and other side effects.

“Any medicine, if misused will have negative effects, symptoms of addiction. We need to look at the severity of the pain as well,” he said.

However, unlike the situation abroad, studies on cannabis use in Malaysia are still at the stage of “animal experiments” and have not yet been conducted on humans.

Therefore, Malaysia is not yet ready to use cannabis for medicine, said Aris who strongly opposes the use of cannabis for recreational purposes.

“There is very little medical data. It’s just that countries that allow the use of cannabis use it to reduce patients’ nervousness.

“But abroad there is a concept of (using) a small amount and not having a bad effect.

“But if anyone misuses it there are a lot of side effects, I don’t agree to use it for recreation. If for medical purposes I agree, but maybe we are not ready yet,” he added.

Efforts to promote the use of cannabis for the treatment of mental illness in Malaysia is pioneered by the Malaysian Society of Awareness (Masa), which was established in 2019.

Its vice-chairman Harish Kumar Thanabalan said they met with several ministers and government agencies to clarify the government’s working paper on cannabis and mental medicine.

“Masa’s objective is to treat mental patients with cannabis.

“We create online programmes for the mentally ill and several other programmes to generate public support and funds,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Masa, among others, had met Dr Mahathir Mohamad when the Langkawi member of Parliament was still the prime minister during the Pakatan Harapan administration in 2018.

“Masa has given the paperwork to the ministry in 2018, I’ve also met some patients.”

“I will help Yasin, I will bring it forward in my way and Masa will go forward with the issue of cannabis for mental health in line with the objective of the NGO,” Harish said.

 
Parliamentary caucus

The effort was welcomed by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar on April 6 who acknowledged that clinical studies on the use of cannabis in medicine could be done.

However, the Rembau member of parliament said every policy must be based on evidence and so far no complete clinical study has been received by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

It led to the formation of the Medical Cannabis Caucus which successfully held its inaugural meeting with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on April 12.

 The effort was to discuss policy issues related to the hemp industry, cannabis for medical purposes and ketum for use in Malaysia.

The caucus found that the cannabis and ketum industry, estimated to be worth RM60 billion, was being developed in many countries and medical cannabis was allowed in more than 40 countries.

The Medical Cannabis Caucus is a bipartisan collaboration between government and opposition MPs and is chaired by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

Among the MPs are Azalina Othman Said (Pengerang), Khalid Abd Samad (Shah Alam), Xavier Jayakumar (Kuala Langat), Ignatius Darell Leiking (Penampang), Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen (Bandar Kuching) and Dr Azman Ismail (Kuala Kedah). – April 17, 2022.