The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Wednesday dismissed an e-petition that urged that cannabis be downgraded to a Category 3 drug and its use in medical treatment be legalized, sparking a vigorous debate among netizens yesterday.
The e-petition was on the Public Policy Network Participation Platform of the National Development Council’s Web site and garnered more than 5,000 signatures since July, exceeding the threshold needed for the proposal to receive consideration by the government.
Some netizens blasted ministry officials for what they called a “paternalistic, conservative mindset,” adding that Taiwan has not kept up with more progressive nations on the issue of decriminalization.
They called on the government to hold public forums to discuss the issue of allowing medical marijuana.
Several netizens said that possession of cannabis for medical use has been legalized in Canada, Australia, and many EU countries, as well as 25 states in the US, as well as Washington.
They also said that the legalization of medical or recreational marijuana is on the ballot in nine US states, including California, Arizona, Florida, Nevada and North Dakota.
However, some netizens opposed the decriminalization of cannabis, saying it is a “gateway drug” and would lead to habitual use and addiction that would result in surging crime rates.
As well as advocating the legal use of cannabis for medical use, the petition urged that it be downgraded from being a Category 2 narcotic drug under Taiwan’s Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例) to a Category 3 drug.
Along with opium, coca, amphetamine, and their derivative products, cannabis is considered a Category 2 drug.
If it was downgraded to a Category 3 drug — a group which includes ketamine — it would carry a lighter punishment, and in many cases users would receive a fine of less than NT$50,000 and a warning.
Deputy Minister of Justice Chen Ming-tang (陳明堂) said that his ministry had held a meeting on the decriminalization of cannabis, at which officials had used as a reference the nation’s ketamine problem.
Officials said that the use of the drug is rampant among young people, and as users are not prosecuted for consuming the drug, there is no effective deterrent.
Officials and academics said cannabis is addictive and its decriminalization would exacerbate the nation’s existing drug problem, so they did not accept the proposal of the e-petition, Chen said.
Ministry of Health and Welfare officials presented information from the UN, which said that there was insufficient evidence to support the wide use of cannabis for medical purposes, and said that no country in Asia allows cannabis or cannabis products for medicinal use, and neither should Taiwan.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
RSS