UNAIR NEWS聽鈥 The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) is reviewing the plan to legalize medical marijuana.听Responding to this issue, a doctor from the Addiction Psychiatry Division of Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, 东京热 (FK ) dr Soetjipto SpKJ (K) said that there was no need to rush on it.
鈥淢any countries may have legalized the use of medical marijuana. Indonesia has not yet because it is necessary to look at many factors, for example, related to the Narcotics Law,鈥 said doctor Tjipto.
Indonesia categorizes marijuana as a class one narcotic. It means that marijuana can only be used for research. Medical marijuana has not yet received a permit as a means of treatment.
Based on research, medical marijuana can act as an alternative therapy or treatment for several diseases such as glaucoma, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, cancer, hypertension, and it can overcome seizures for patients聽with cerebral palsy.听For this reason, dr. Tjipto suggested that medical marijuana can be reduced to class two or three so that it can be used as a means of therapy or treatment.
鈥淎lthough later it may be useful as medicine, its use also needs strict supervision. If you want to use it, you must go through medical personnel who are already trained. So, when it鈥檚 legal, it can鈥檛 be used arbitrarily,鈥 explained dr. Tjipto.
Supervision of use by medical personnel can also minimize the side effects. Medical personnel can help monitor the right dose of medical marijuana use in patients so that the marijuana will not be misused and cause addiction.
鈥淚f the population or society in this country is all addicted to marijuana, it will disrupt the country鈥檚 stability. It can be seen from the chaos in other countries that stems from the rampant abuse of these psychoactive substances. For this reason, even if medical marijuana is legalized for therapy, the government needs to make regulations that protect the public from its misuse,鈥 he explained.
Differences between medical marijuana and recreational marijuana
鈥淢edical marijuana is different from marijuana for fun (recreational marijuana, ed). So it will be relatively safe for treatment,鈥 said dr. Tjipto.
Medical marijuana contains聽cannabidinol聽(CBD), which can be used as a drug for therapy for various diseases, while recreational marijuana contains聽tetrahidocannabinol聽(THC).听The THC content makes users feel 鈥渉颈驳丑鈥听蝉别苍蝉补迟颈辞苍.
鈥淔urthermore, the use of recreational marijuana, which a medical expert does not supervise, can cause various health problems. For example, lung infections, heart attacks, inflammation of the respiratory tract, distorted thinking, until triggering the emergence of bipolar disorder, 鈥渆xplained dr. Tjipto.
Author: Fauzia Gadis Widyanti
Editor: Feri Fenoria
