The Court's Court Rejects Legalization Of Medical Marijuana For Health, This Is BNN's Response

Illustration of the Constitutional Court (MK). (Antaranews)

JAKARTA - Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Petrus Reinhard Golose agreed with the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) which rejected the application for judicial review of Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics (Narcotics Law) related to the issue of using medical marijuana for health.

"I agree with what has been decided by the Constitutional Court," Petrus told reporters at the BNN Office, Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, July 20.

As the Head of BNN, said Petrus, he saw the legal basis and laws that already regulate the use of Narcotics Category I, namely marijuana.

Article 8 paragraph (1) of the Narcotics Law has clearly stated that Narcotics Group I is prohibited from being used for the benefit of health services.

Then, Article 8 paragraph (2) of the Narcotics Law states that in limited quantities, Narcotics Category I can be used for the benefit of developing science and technology and for diagnostic reagents, as well as laboratory reagents after obtaining approval from the Minister on the recommendation of the Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency.

Therefore, Petrus also agreed with the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the use of marijuana for scientific purposes.

“The regulation of marijuana for science already exists, not only from the Constitutional Court's decision. In the law it has been submitted in Article 8 (Narcotics Law)," he said.

Furthermore, he reminded that the percentage of marijuana abusers in Indonesia reached 41.6 percent. Most of the drug users, are marijuana users.

"Let us together save this generation of the Indonesian nation. Again, for the sake of science with its rules, please. We do it according to the law. This is the most important thing,” said Petrus.

Previously, the Constitutional Court rejected the application for judicial review of the Narcotics Law submitted by a number of mothers from patients with cerebral palsy and non-governmental organizations.

"Reject the petitioners' petition in its entirety," said Constitutional Justice Anwar Usman when reading out the verdict which was broadcast online on the Constitutional Court's YouTube channel, Jakarta, Wednesday, July 20.