MARCH-APRIL , 2023 | THE HEALTH

DIFFERENT STROKES

BY ADI SATRIA

After all , ketum has been consumed by our village folks in Nusantara and Southern Thailand for centuries . It is an essential herb for working in the fields .

Why was it banned ? Well , the colonial masters saw it as a threat to their own pharmaceutical companies and placed it under the Poison Acts to ban its harvest , processing distribution and usage . However , it can be found in the wild , and it is thus not illegal to grow it in your backyard .

At the end of January 2023 , Deputy Prime Minister , Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof announced the government will discuss with the Ministry of Health ( MoH ) the suitability and the methodology of producing products based on not just ketum but also cannabis and hemp for the medical industry .

A detailed study on proper procedures will be drafted upon discussions with industry players , relevant associations and NGO ’ s . It will also include how it can be planted , processed and sold in a controlled environment .

Fadillah , who is also the Plantations and Commodities Minister , had been briefed on the experience of other countries , especially that of Thailand , which has legalised the use of cannabis and ketum strictly for medical purposes .

The Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged that besides the health benefits , these plants have positive economic values and can help farmers increase their income as they are hardy and not difficult to plant and maintain .

While planting ketum is not an offence , it is punishable if it is processed , consumed , sold and exported as it comes under the Poisons Act 1952 . On the other hand , cannabis planting , possession and distribution are more severe as it comes under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 , Schedule 1 . The penalty for possessing more than 200 grams of cannabis is death because it is assumed that the intention of possessing that amount is to distribute it .

CONDUCTING PROPER RESEARCH

Traditionally , Ketum leaves have been used as medicine for ailments such as back pain , fever and cough . The water from boiling the leaves has also been used as a traditional medicine for diabetes and hypertension .

I know of people who drink it to work long hours in the farm or for sports . Even writers and other desk job workers swear they can keep awake and alert for

Malaysian Kratom in a US store .

hours . It is much better than drinking the commercialised energy drinks which are essentially just sugar .

Herein also lies the question of dosage , which can only be determined if proper research is done . In practice , the average amount is about 30-50 mg of concentrated ketum water .

Thailand has legalised the use of ketum and cannabis for medical purposes . In Malaysia , one of the companies doing research and collecting data is MyCBD Sdn Bhd , an analytical data company advising groups that need information about ketum and medical cannabis .

According to Nizam Izuddin , the

ADI SATRIA , a marketing communications veteran , feels that the local traditional medical and herbal industry must continue to evolve through proper research and , like Traditional Chinese Medicine ( TCM ), has great potential for growth . He is also a consumer of traditional health and herbal products .

Nizam Izuddin

company ’ s Head of Corporate Affairs , MyCBD has a Thai partner embarking on the ketum project within a transparent regulatory framework .

Nizam also helped set up Koperasi Pencinta Herba Bhd , of which he is the Secretary , a cooperative coordinating with all stakeholders , especially farmers within the ketum ecosystem . They are creating a network farming model to give opportunities to small farmers to participate in the lucrative industry once the government legalises and provides the industry regulations .

A BOON FOR FARMERS

Two local universities currently involved in ketum research are Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Malaya .

According to Nizam , the price of export-quality ketum is around RM40-RM60 per kilogramme . There is a high demand for ketum in Europe and the United States .

Malaysian Kratom as it is known , is recognised as being the best in the world , even better than Thai Kratom . This is because the climate and soil conditions in Northern Perak northwards up to the South of Thailand are best suited for the plant .

It will thus be a boon for farmers to plant and even process ketum to boost their incomes . It should be noted that there is a shortage of Ketum in Thailand , so ketum smuggling to Thailand has been on the rise .

Nizam feels there is a need to educate the public on the proper use and benefits of Ketum and prevent abuse . Their statistics show that the incidence of abuse is very negligible . These very isolated incidences have been overblown to justify its continued prohibition .

In fact , there has been no proof of rampant misuse of ketum or that it is addictive . Medical practitioners we talked to have never encountered anyone with side effects of so-called ketum abuse . The people that we know who use ketum as supplements feel the benefits , including better health and energy , control and reduce their diabetes , high blood pressure and cholesterol conditions .

It is thus ironical that a plant found in the wilds in Malaysia is sought after by the medical and pharmaceutical industry in Europe and the United States and yet is banned in its own country . We hope that as industry players and the government are seriously looking into the benefits of ketum , and even cannabis and hemp for medical purposes , there will be a change in our farmers ’ fortunes and our own herbal and medical industry when the laws are amended . – The Health