A man from West Kalimantan, Ari, admitted to growing marijuana to treat his ill wife. Indonesia’s Minister of Health, Nila Moeloek, stated that such an action is still not permitted.
Nila explained that in the medical field, certain narcotic substances can indeed be used for treatment, such as morphine. However, their use must strictly follow a doctor’s prescription and medical supervision.
“If it is to relieve pain, when the pain is already very severe, we use morphine. It is true that morphine is used in medicine, but it must be closely monitored. For example, if I prescribe it to my patient, it must be properly recorded. The amount and who receives it are clearly documented. This means it cannot be used excessively or obtained freely. That would be incorrect. But this applies to morphine,” Nila said when met at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Monday (April 3, 2017).
Regarding marijuana, Nila admitted that she had not yet confirmed whether it could be used as a pain-relieving medication, although she acknowledged that narcotics can cause temporary loss of awareness.
“As for marijuana, in my opinion, it may not be the same. Perhaps it can cause a ‘fly’ effect, meaning it makes someone forget the pain temporarily,” she explained.
“So it is not actually treating the disease, but rather suppressing the sensation. Morphine that we use is also not to cure the disease, because when pain has reached the bones, it is extremely severe. We then use very strong painkillers. In such cases, something like paracetamol would be impossible. It may only make the patient temporarily feel less pain. My concern is addiction, especially if there are no clear limitations,” she added.
Nila also stated that further research could be conducted regarding marijuana’s potential medical benefits.
“Yes, please do. But as of now, it has not been studied. I will check further. However, in my opinion, it has not yet been proven as a medical treatment for pain relief,” she concluded.
Source: detik.com
