What Country Will Legalize Marijuana Next? Medical Cannabis Up For Public Comment In South Africa

South Africa’s Medical Control Council (MCC) released new regulations for an expanded medical marijuana program, which will soon be up for public comment, according to Monday reports. South Africans will be able to discuss terms for the use of and access to medical marijuana, which could potentially lead to the full legalization of cannabis for patients.

The country already allows the use of cannabis oils, often referred to as dagga oils, for medicinal use, but the current framework, named the Medical Innovation Bill, is very restrictive. Only patients suffering from severe medical conditions that could potentially cause death are able to use the cannabis oil under the supervision of a doctor. During public comment, South Africans will have a say on expanding the list of ailments necessary for use of medical marijuana as well regulations on how the plant should be produced and consumed for medicinal purposes.

“Thousands of patients are already using cannabis oil, which comes at a premium price, and we wanted it to be made freely accessible so that the patient going to Addington or any other state hospital can request this without the exorbitant costs associated. Patients must have the freedom of choice,” Narend Singh, Inkantha Freedom Party (IFP) Member of Parliament, told local media Monday. “Production must be aimed at making it a medicinal, affordable drug for those who need it. It should not be an exclusive drug of choice for those who have the money. That is what we are arguing for.”

The fight for medical marijuana was first introduced in South Africa in 2014 when former IFP MP Mario Oriani-Ambrosini proposed a bill decriminalizing the use of dagga oil. Not long after Oriani-Ambrosini submitted the bill to the South African National Assembly in 2014, he died from stage 4 lung cancer.

“Mario had fought tirelessly for this and although he proposed cannabis beyond medicinal use to also include it for recreational use, we agreed to withdraw every clause relating to non-medicinal use in our efforts to ensure it becomes legal,” Singh said, adding that doctors and professionals needed to be trained on how to use marijuana as an alternative form of treatment.

The MCC said public comment would be held within “the next few weeks.”