Head Of BNN Says Indonesia Has No Discourse On Legalization Of Marijuana

Head of BNN Petrus Golose/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) RI, Commissioner General Pol. Petrus Reinhard Golose reiterated that there is no discussion about legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational needs in Indonesia, even though several countries have started to legalize the opium plant.

“There is no discussion to date for the legalization of marijuana. Elsewhere there are, but not in Indonesia,” said Petrus Golose, Sunday, June 19.

He said that although some countries have started to legalize marijuana, in terms of numbers, there are still more countries that make the opium plant illegal.

He gave an example that the marijuana legalization policy in the United States was not evenly distributed, only in the states, not centrally or at the federal level.

Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, only Thailand has legalized the cultivation and use of cannabis for medical purposes.

"However, let it be in other countries. I remain consistent not to (discuss the discourse) legalizing marijuana,” said Petrus Golose on the sidelines of the international table tennis tournament which is part of the 2022 HANI series in Bali.

Kratom

Then, regarding the kratom plant which had attracted public attention because it was considered to have an addictive effect, Golose said that his party was still studying it.

“Kratom is still in progress, we are seeing how until now it is still waiting. There are rules we have to follow. However, we from BNN propose it to be one of the ingredients in changing the (Narcotics, ed.) Law," said the Head of BNN.

Last year, BNN announced its plan to propose that kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) be included in class I narcotics so that the plant cannot be used for treatment.

The plan then sparked a polemic because several community groups used kratom as an ingredient in traditional/herbal medicines.

Deputy Regent of Kapuas Hulu Wahyudi Hidayat, this month, said that the kratom plant has the potential to be a driver of a sustainable and environmentally friendly community economy. He added that kratom is currently one of the native plants of Kapuas Hulu which is still cultivated by several communities.

However, BNN believes that kratom has stronger side effects than morphine, a substance that is currently classified as a class II narcotic in Indonesia.