THE Ministry of Health (MOH) welcomes applications to conduct clinical trials on products containing cannabis extract for medical purposes as no such clinical trials are being carried out in the country so far, said Deputy Health Minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.

He said the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, the Poisons Act 1952 and the Sale of Drugs Act 1952 have already allowed for the production of cannabis extract to be supplied, imported, sold and used for medical purposes, and for research or clinical trials for medical purposes subject to the requirements provided by the acts.

He was responding to a question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muar-Muda) who wanted MOH to provide the latest status on the legalisation and use of medical cannabis in Malaysia.

Elaborating, Dr Azmi said companies that have adequate scientific proof of the effectiveness of products containing cannabis extract for medical purposes could submit an application to register the products to the Drug Control Authority under the ministry.

In addition, he said companies with medical cannabis products that have been approved abroad can apply to have their products registered and marketed in Malaysia. 

“The MOH does not reject studies on the effectiveness of medical cannabis; it is time we follow the steps of 40 countries that have used it to treat diseases including cancer, depression, and epilepsy; we are ready to look into this,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the proposal to separate interpretations of cannabis, medical cannabis, and hemp from a legal aspect, he stated that the matter would depend on the findings of the main committee on the development of the cannabis and ketum industry for medical purposes.

“Therefore, the need to amend the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 in connection with the control of cannabis and hemp including creating separate interpretations for cannabis and hemp will depend on the Cabinet’s decision after reviewing the committee’s findings, taking into account the legal, socio-cultural, health, economy, Shariah law aspects and so on,” he added. – Bernama, July 28, 2022.