Regardless of whether the government permits medical cannabis, the drug’s status as a category 2 drug would not be changed, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said on Saturday after a petition calling for medicinal cannabis to be allowed gained more signatures.
A proposal on the National Development Council’s Public Policy Network Participation Platform has collected more than 5,000 signatures, exceeding the threshold needed for the proposal to be considered by the government.
The public must understand that the only difference between narcotics and drugs is whether they are used in a legal manner, the ministry said.
Using morphine, a category 1 narcotic, as an anesthetic is legal, and methadone, a category 2 narcotic, can be used to treat opioid dependence, it said.
Item 4, Article 2 of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防治條例) states: “[Drug] needs for medication or scientific use can be otherwise designated by law,” which allows for narcotics to be designated as medicinal drugs, it said.
However, no individual or company in Taiwan is importing cannabis medication, either because there are substitutes already in place, or its market would be too small, the ministry said.
Cannabis is a substance that is addictive and could be abused if used recreationally, causing harm to the public, as well as being dangerous to the physical and mental state of the user, it said.
In meetings with representatives from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Taipei Medical University, the pharmaceutical industry and medical experts, the attendees have been unanimously against the legalization of cannabis for recreational use, the justice ministry said.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday said that cannabis, which contains cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is a restricted category 2 narcotic, as is THC.
As CBD has possible medicinal properties, it is not listed under restricted drugs, it said.
As there are as yet no approved medicines containing CBD, individuals with doctor’s prescriptions for such drugs should apply to import it according to the Regulations on Management of Medicament Samples and Gifts (藥物樣品贈品管理辦法), the health ministry added.
The use of cannabis can increase the possibility of lung or myocardial infarctions as well as addiction, so the public needs to be cautious about pressing for legalization, it said.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
The presence of Taiwanese politicians at China’s military parade tomorrow would send the wrong message to Beijing and the international community about Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, a national security official said yesterday. China is to hold the parade tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. By bringing together leaders of “anti-West” governments such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, the parade aims to project a symbolic image of an alliance that is cohesive and unbending against Western countries, the national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu
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