A lawsuit to revise the law prohibiting the use of marihuana was filed by mothers of seriously ill children. They asked that the use of the drug for medical purposes be made legal
Indonesia’s Constitutional Court rejected a lawsuit to review the drug law regarding the use of medical marijuana, detikNews reports.
Court President Anwar Usman pointed out that the court does not have the authority to decide the legalization of marijuana, as it is the job of the council of people’s deputies and the government.
Usman explained that the court cannot verify whether marijuana can actually be used for medical purposes, and called on the government to “immediately” organize such a study so that its results can be used to decide on the issue.
The lawsuit to review the drug law in 2020 was filed by three mothers whose children suffer from cerebral palsy and epilepsy, The Jakarta Post wrote. They pointed out that cannabis is used in some countries to relieve symptoms of the disease and asked that marijuana be allowed for medical purposes.
Cerebral palsy is a group of diseases that result from malformation or postnatal damage to the central nervous system and result in impaired motor function and posture.
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease in which neuronal activity is increased. The person experiences sudden seizures with impaired motor and thinking functions.
Invited independent and government experts spoke at the trial, speaking both for and against the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes, including pointing out that existing studies have no unequivocal conclusions regarding the use of marijuana in treating epilepsy.
Indonesia’s parliament has promised to consult with federal agencies, including the Ministry of Health, the country’s top doctors and other experts, Reuters reported.
Indonesian law prohibits the possession, use and sale of drugs. It divides narcotic substances into three groups of drugs based on the strength of their effects and degree of addiction. Marijuana is classified in the first, the most dangerous group. Possession of this drug is punishable by four to 12 years in prison and a fine of up to 8 million rupees ($534,000). Trafficking can carry a life sentence or the death penalty.
Medical use of marijuana is legal in Croatia, Israel, Poland, Finland, Greece and 25 states of the United States.
The Russian Ministry of Health has conducted studies on such a possibility. As of 2019, it is allowed to grow cannabis in the country for medical purposes, but only for the production of veterinary drugs.
The acquisition, storage, manufacture and trafficking of drugs are regulated, in particular, by Art. 228-233 of the Criminal Code. If a citizen uses the drug for personal purposes, he could face from three to 15 years in prison, depending on the amount of the seized substance. In the case of sale – from 20 years to life imprisonment.
A Russian may be sentenced to imprisonment for drug trafficking.
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