UNAIR NEWS – Medical marijuana legalization issue just recently drew the internet’s attention. The topic went viral after a mother’s plea for cerebral palsy treatment for her child. The phenomenon quickly gained public sympathy until the idea of marijuana legalization was proposed to the House of Representatives (DPR).
Viewed from the medical perspective, medical marijuana provides various benefits. In line with the statement from dr Soetjipto SpKJ (K), Doctor of Addiction Psychiatry Division of Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of Universitas Airlangga (FK UNAIR), that medical marijuana can help treat various diseases.
“Several studies found that medical marijuana may prevent glaucoma, work as an anti-seizure, particularly for cerebral palsy patients, as a natural sedative, help stimulate bone formation in osteoporosis patients, as an antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anticancer, pain relief, helps treat diabetes mellitus, and treatment for lupus,” dr Tjipto explained.
Medical marijuana definition
Medical marijuana is different from recreational marijuana. He said that there are various types of marijuana.
“Medical marijuana is commonly used for health and medical purposes. It contains cannabidiol (CBD) which helps treat various diseases,” dr Tjipto said.
While recreational marijuana contains a high amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which causes “high” sensation.
“The terms for medical marijuana is Cannabis Sativa or hemp, and recreational marijuana is Cannabis indica,” he added.
Use guidelines
To provide the most effective result, dr Tjipto affirmed that medical marijuana should be appropriately administered. Inappropriate use of medical marijuana can cause fatal consequences.
“Currently, there are no clear guidelines for medical marijuana in Indonesia because it is classified as the first category of narcotic drugs. The usage is limited only for research purposes, it is prohibited for medical purposes.”
However, dr Tjipto added that the use of medical marijuana will be different from the consumption of recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana usually goes through a distillation process to produce cannabis oil.
“It is not for immediate use like cigarettes in general. The side effects will be more harmful if used like a cigarette. Cigarette causes harmful substances from the process of burning dried marijuana leaves,” he said.
Author: Fauzia Gadis Widyanti
Editor: Feri Fenoria
