Sativa Nusantara Speaks of Marijuana for Medical Use
Translator
Editor
April 27, 2022 | 11:20 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The executive director of Sativa Nusantara Foundation, Dhira Narayana on Wednesday shared his thoughts on a criminal case involving a man consuming marijuana that he independently grows to treat leg pain. The suspect MM was captured after he shifted his use of the marijuana from personal use to drug dealer.
Narayana said to Tempo that the use of marijuana is still currently illegal and its use for other reasons is unjustified.
“For sure the use of ganja (Cannabis) in Indonesia, in any shape or form remains illegal and cannot be justified. The same goes for this case,” he said in a phone interview on April 27.
He said that the numerous medical researches and studies regarding Cannabis have motivated a number of people to attempt self-treatment through the use of the plant that is still classified as an illegal drug by Indonesian law.
“But the interesting fact is that many countries which legalize the use of medical marijuana have motivated Indonesians to try the treatment,” said Dhira. “However, for transactional purposes, [his actions] are not allowed
He also highlighted the fact that suspect MM had actually used marijuana for commercial gain, which Narayana asserts is still a violation of the law. But in terms of medical uses, he believes Indonesia needs to consider legalizing Cannabis for medical purposes.
"Trading it is still illegal and that cannot be justified. But the legalization of marijuana for medical use needs to be set in place," he added.
Another case in Indonesia related to medical marijuana was recently made into a documentary where a mother is struggling to legalize the use of the Cannabis plant at the Constitutional Court (MK) for the treatment of her child.
Dhira Narayana hopes that medically legalizing the use of Cannabis can prevent other similar criminal cases in the future, especially when the use of the plant is exclusively for health treatment.
"Other countries have utilized medical marijuana, and it is a common thing," said the Sativa Nusantara Foundation executive.
Read: New York Passes Bill to Legalize Marijuana
HAMDAN CHOLIFUDIN ISMAIL
