Tag: malaysia

Malaysia Health Ministry Opens Cannabis-Based Product Registration

Written by Hazel Norman on March 4, 2025. Posted in Business, Policy.

A major push for limited medical cannabis policy reform and industry regulations took place in Malaysia in 2022, and the nation passed a major milestone this week with Malaysia’s Health Ministry announcing that registration for medical cannabis-based products is now open.

“Those who have sufficient scientific evidence supporting the use of cannabis-based products for medical treatment can come forward to submit their product registration, says the Health Ministry.” reported The Star in its local coverage.

“However, they must comply with the relevant laws, the ministry said in a written parliamentary reply dated March 3.” the media outlet also reported.

Malaysia’s cannabis policies are largely governed by the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and the Poisons Act 1952, both of which classify cannabis and its derivatives as ‘dangerous drugs.’

Historically, the region that Malaysia is located in is where some of the harshest cannabis laws on earth can be found, and in some ways in Malaysia, can still be found.

Malaysia is one of a handful of countries around the world, most of them located in the same region, that still issues the death penalty for certain cannabis-only offenses. With that in mind, any movement towards permitting medical cannabis is significant.

Malaysia To Decide On Medical Cannabis Reform By End Of Year

Written by Frank Schuler on August 29, 2022. Posted in Policy.

As we previously reported, government officials from Malaysia met with their counterparts from Thailand this week with the goal of determining what Malaysia can learn from Thailand’s current cannabis policies and the efforts to get Thailand’s policies to where they are at now.

Historically, the region that Thailand and Malaysia are located in is where some of the harshest cannabis laws on earth could be found, and in the case of Malaysia, can still be found. Malaysia is one of a handful of countries around the world, most of them located in the same region, that still issues the death penalty for cannabis-only offenses.

Malaysia is currently exploring ways that it can improve its cannabis laws for medical cannabis patients, and coming off of the heals of the recent meeting between Malaysia and Thailand dedicated to the topic of medical cannabis, Malaysia’s Health Minister has indicated that the country will decide on medical cannabis by the end of the year. Per The Star:

The government will take a stand on the use of cannabis for medical purposes before the end of the year, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Khairy who concluded a bilateral working visit to Bangkok, on Thursday (Aug 25) said Thailand had shared a lot of views and experiences during his visit on the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes and its cultivation.

“I am confident that we will be able to study Thailand’s experience to adapt it to the Malaysian context later when we will decide whether or not to allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

The effort in Malaysia is far from guaranteed to succeed, and even if something is eventually adopted, it will likely be a far cry compared to robust medical cannabis programs found in other countries in North America and Europe.

Still, it is very encouraging to see neighboring countries take notice of the shift in cannabis policy in Thailand, and for them to be seeking out advice from the regional cannabis leader. Hopefully more countries in the region follow suit.

Malaysia To Learn About Thailand’s Cannabis Policies In Upcoming Meeting

Written by Johnny Green on August 21, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Malaysia is home to some of the worst cannabis policies on the entire planet. To hammer home that point, consider the fact that people can still receive the death penalty for cannabis-only offenses in Malaysia.

Someone getting caught in possession of more than 200 grams of cannabis in Malaysia automatically yields the death penalty, even in cases which the person caught with the cannabis is using it for medical purposes.

Two hundred grams may seem like a lot of cannabis for one person to possess, however, that’s not an uncommon amount for someone that is using cannabis for medical purposes. In order to make strong edibles, which is a common consumption method for patients, recipes can call for well over 200 grams of raw cannabis.

Fortunately for medical cannabis patients, Malaysia seems to at least be exploring the idea of reforming its cannabis laws to allow some form of medical use. Medical cannabis efforts will get a boost next week when officials from Malaysia and Thailand meet. Per Reuters:

Malaysia plans to learn from the cannabis policy of neighbouring Thailand in its effort to legalise use of the drug for medical purposes, a health ministry official said on Wednesday, in a country where possession can bring the death penalty now.

The comments came after the Thai health minister said he would meet his Malaysian counterpart during a meeting of APEC health ministers next week where Thailand will showcase its work in legalising medicinal marijuana.

Suffering patients exist in every country on the planet, including in Malaysia. Patients everywhere deserve to have safe access to effective medicines in Malaysia and everywhere else, and that includes medical cannabis.

Hopefully the upcoming meeting involving health officials from Malaysia and Thailand will be constructive and yield results throughout the region. After all, Malaysia is not the only country in the region with horrific cannabis laws.

Malaysia Senator Calls For Urgent Medical Cannabis Reform

Written by Johnny Green on May 16, 2022. Posted in Archives, Policy.

Malaysia is one of the harshest places on earth when it comes to cannabis policy. For example, anyone caught with over 200 grams of cannabis in Malaysia faces a mandatory death sentence if convicted.

That is the potential sentence that famed Malaysian singer Yasin Sulaiman is currently facing after authorities allegedly found 214 grams of cannabis and 17 plants near his home.

As we previously reported, Malaysia is pursuing medical cannabis reform in an extremely slow fashion. Malaysia’s Health Minister recently indicated a willingness to team up with cannabis researchers, however, people question how sincere he really is.

A member of Malaysia’s Senate spoke out recently about the need for Malaysia to embrace medical cannabis. Per The Star:

Malaysia should play a serious role and take progressive actions to allow the use of cannabis and hemp, especially cannabidiol (CBD) for medical purposes, said Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi.

The Senate member representing persons with disabilities (OKU), said the usage of the substances is to increase access to quality health services for their well-being.

“It is in line with Strategic Thrust 4 of the Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities (OKU) 2016-2022, which is to increase access to quality health services for their well-being,” she said in a statement.

Medical cannabis reform obviously faces an uphill battle in Malaysia, and for that matter, most of the region. Neighboring countries Indonesia and Singapore also have very harsh cannabis laws.

One bright spot in the region is Thailand, which shares a border with Malaysia. Thailand is going to allow any household in the country to sign up to cultivate low-THC cannabis this June, and once that happens, I am hopeful that it convinces lawmakers in the region to soften their stances toward cannabis reform.