JAKARTA - The Expert Group of the National Narcotics Agency for Pharmacy, Brigadier General Mufti Djusnir, said there was no need to revise Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics for research purposes on the content of the active substance Canabidiol (CBD) in marijuana.
"Act No. 35/2009 concerning Narcotics, fixed prices prohibit the circulation of narcotics, but if there is a need to conduct research on narcotics for medicinal purposes such as CBD, Article 8 paragraph (2) is already available, so we do not need to revise the Narcotics Law," he told Antara via electronic message, Tuesday, July 5th.
Marijuana in the Act is classified into narcotics group I. In Article 7 of Law no. 35/2009 states, "Narcotics can only be used for the benefit of health services and or the development of science and technology".
This rule is clarified through article 8 paragraph 1 which states, "Narcotics Group I is prohibited from being used for the benefit of health services".
However, Article 8 paragraph 2 explains "In limited quantities, Narcotics Category I can be used for the benefit of developing science and technology and for diagnostic reagents and laboratory reagents after obtaining the approval of the Minister on the recommendation of the Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency".
According to the Mufti, in this case, the understanding of medical marijuana is not the whole cannabis plant that is useful for treatment, but only certain active components that have pharmacological or therapeutic activity, namely CBD.
"Thus, in my opinion, the use of the term medical marijuana becomes irrelevant, which is more appropriate if we call it Cannabidiol for medical purposes," he said.
CBD or Canabidiol is the active substance in the cannabis plant which has medicinal uses. In addition to CBD, the cannabis plant also contains the active compound THC. Unlike CBD, THC can cause addiction or addiction. The use of CBD isolated from the cannabis plant or cannabis for medical purposes is to change the proportion or ratio of THC and CBD which is more aimed at medical effects and minimizes recreational risks.
"Therefore, cannabis plants that can be used for treatment are those that have been genetically modified, so that they get higher CBD levels than their THC levels," he explained.
He added that marijuana in Indonesia has never been used for medical purposes at all because there is no strong evidence about cannabis clinical trials in Indonesia. Likewise, synthetic cannabis products and their derivatives have not yet been supported by good drug development test results.
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