MUI Assesses Religious Perspective Regarding The Use Of Cannabis For Medical

ILLUSTRATION - Police show marijuana plants during a raid on a marijuana field in the forest area of Bandung Regency, West Java. (BETWEEN PHOTO/Novrian Arbi/foc).

JAKARTA - The Fatwa Division of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) conducted a comprehensive study to explore religious perspectives on the use of cannabis plants for medical needs.

"We appreciate this hope and it will be followed up with a comprehensive study from a religious perspective," said Head of the MUI Fatwa Division Asrorun Niam Sholeh in a written statement quoted by Antara, Wednesday, June 29.

He said MUI would contribute to providing religious solutions on the basis of holistic consideration of the general benefit in the form of socializing existing fatwas, strengthening regulations, recommendations for drafting regulations, or in the form of new fatwas.

Moreover, Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics stipulates that marijuana is a type of narcotic Category I that cannot be used for health purposes, said Asrorun Niam.

Asrorun Niam said the fatwa is a religious answer to problems that arise in society. To this day, the MUI has not received any formal questions or requests for a fatwa from related parties regarding the issue of using marijuana for medical purposes.

According to Asrorun, the study was MUI's response to Vice President Ma'ruf Amin's expectation for the MUI Fatwa Division to follow up on the dynamics that occurred in society regarding the pros and cons of using marijuana for media needs from a fiqh perspective.

He said that in Islam, anything that intoxicates is haraam, whether a little or a lot.

"Marijuana is an intoxicating item. Therefore, it is illegal to consume marijuana because it is intoxicating and harmful to health," he said.

However, said Asrorun, if there is a need that is justified by sharia, the use of marijuana is allowed, with certain terms and conditions.

"Therefore, there needs to be an in-depth study of the benefits of marijuana. We will examine the substance of the problem related to cannabis problems from the health, social, economic, regulatory, and environmental aspects," he said.

Previously, the MUI had issued a decision by the Ijtima Ulama of the Indonesian Fatwa Commission IV of 2012 concerning nicotine as an active ingredient in consumptive products for medicinal purposes.

"Basically, the law on consuming nicotine is haram, because it endangers health. The use of nicotine as a drug and therapy for treating various diseases, including Parkinson's and smoking addiction, is allowed as long as no other pharmacological therapy has been found, is temporary, and is proven to bring benefits," he said. .

According to Asrorun, the use of nicotine as an ingredient in drugs made in the form of candy, as commonly consumed by the public, is possible for children to afford. "The law is haram, to prevent abuse," he said.

He added that consuming something with nicotine as an active ingredient outside of medical treatment is illegal. For this reason, MUI will conduct a study on marijuana for medical purposes.

"Can it be analogous to the fatwa regarding nicotine or different. We will examine it," he said.