South Korea Legalizes Medicinal Cannabis

By Benjie Cooper

IG: @nuglifenews

YouTube: Lucid’s Vlog

Democratic Party of Korea Representative Shin Chang-hyun introduced a bill into the National Assembly in January to legalize the use of medicinal cannabis by certified patients.

Even though recreational and medicinal cannabis use has been illegal in South Korea, next to China, the country is the second-largest hemp manufacturer in the world, producing more than 14,000 tons of the fiber each year.

In July, Shin’s bill gained the support of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety who announced that it would be allowing for the importation of approved medicinal cannabis products like Epidiolex, Marinol (dronabinol), Cesamet, and Sativex.

On November 25, the South Korean National Assembly approved Shin’s amendment to the national Management of Narcotic Drugs Act, permitting the licensing of the production, sale, and use of medicinal cannabis in the country.

Under the law, patients with rare diseases who are seeking a license to use medical marijuana will be required to first obtain certification from their physician before applying for approval from the Korean Orphan Drug Center which would review and consider each case individually.

With the approval of the new amendment, South Korea becomes the first country in East Asia to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes.