MHIRA welcomes the recent decision and voting by CND on Cannabis that it is currently subject to strict international controls and still illegal in Malaysia. Since 2018, MHIRA has been among the global network of NGOs and has been participating in the notable UNCND host at Vienna, Austria.
This time, The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs has approved the removal of Cannabis from the list of the “world’s most dangerous” drugs category where it had been classified since 1961.
Cannabis and cannabis resin were included on the list as part of the Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, (CND) a global text governing drug controls. Its change of category had been in discussion since last year when the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended altering its classification to facilitate research into its medical use and other benefits. The answer now is Malaysian still prohibited by law from growing this low-input sustainable crop. body. MHIRA’s legislation department is currently developing a proposed bill for Hemp and hopes this bill will be a driving platform to legalise the cultivation of the plant. We hope all MHIRA members will show your support and for the benefits of all our fellow Malaysian too.
On the productive development, Sustainable hemp seed, fibre and oil are still used in raw materials by major companies, including Ford Motors, Patagonia, and The Body Shop, to make a wide variety of products. However, most hemp product manufacturers are seen being imported and available at premium supermarkets or online platforms. Not only can hemp be used for an astonishing number of premium products, but its net environmental benefit is also impressive. Among the more salient features, hemp grows in a variety of climates and soil types are naturally resistant to most pests and grow very tightly spaced allowing it to outcompete most weeds. A natural substitute for cotton and wood fibre, hemp can also be pulped using fewer chemicals than wood because of its low lignin content. Its natural brightness can obviate the need to use chlorine bleach.
We strive to promote Industrial Hemp as a green plant with long, blade-like leaves that each have many small teeth on each side. Its stalk and seeds can be used to make paper, clothing, sweeteners, packaging material, and construction material. While much of the current Hemp products sold in Malaysia are presently imported from China, USA & Australia. If these laws are passed, the hemp industry will skyrocket, InsyaAllah.