Cannabis drinks can cause addiction, negative effects - Medical expert
SHAH ALAM – Although drinks laced with cannabis are not as strong, the potential to cause addiction and personal health issues are still there, medical expert Dr Abu Hassan Samad said.
He said the lack of moderation in the sale of the drinks at the neighbouring country, Thailand, had worried him because it exposed the possibility of consumers misusing the dangerous product.
"I worry that many suppliers out there would add several other ingredients to the cannabis drinks until users become addicted and would surely harm their health.
"Let's say the person did not know about the authenticity of the drink and purchased it, it would start with tasting great without any side effects but could eventually lead to addiction.
"Why would it become that way? It is because other ingredients were added into the drinks," he said when contacted by Sinar Harian on Tuesday.
He said among the additional ingredients that could possibly be inserted into the drinks were other heavy drugs including chemical components such as manganese and mercury.
"Those items are dangerous and could cause them to feel high and become addicted,” he said.
He stated any usage of medicinal cannabis needed to be prescribed by medical officers.
He explained the addiction to take cannabis would generally affect an individual's psychomotor and was capable of compromising their response efficiency.
"It would cause them to react slower. For example, while driving, reacting to traffic lights, emergency incidents would be slower as well as the risks of accidents would be high.
Meanwhile, criminologist Shahrul Hamid Abdul Rahim advised Malaysians not to try the cannabis drinks sold in Thailand.
He said many could be arrested and sentenced if their urine test revealed that they were positive for drugs or cannabis.
"No issues with the drinks in Thailand but once they return to the country, remember that Malaysians are subjected to existing laws.
"If their urine test showed that they are positive for cannabis, they would be charged under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (ADB) 1952," he said.
He said this after commenting on the Sinar Harian report on cannabis drinks being easily obtained at any convenience stores in Thailand after it was legalised in the country.
"We need to be reminded that when we consume cannabis drinks, the effects of cannabis would be in our bloodstreams and cause addictions that could ruin lives.
"Do not consume the product because it could be in the body's system," he said.
Hamid had also asked for authorities including the National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada) to tighten control on the country's border to prevent Malaysians from traveling to the neighbouring country to purchase the drinks.
