SHAH ALAM: Jeram assemblyman Mohd Shaid Rosli (pic) raised eyebrows at the state assembly on Wednesday (March 20), after urging the state to become the largest marijuana producer in the world.

Mohd Shaid said it can be done for medical reasons, quoting the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which he said allows government departments to plant the drug for medical purposes.

He even said research was conducted by National Poison Centre director Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Isa Abd Majid, with the help of a local company in an effort to turn the industry into a commercial crop for medical research and export.

“It can be done with the approval of the Health Minister, Datuk Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who is also the Kuala Selangor MP,” he added.

Mohd Shaid said that the state could cooperate with Dr Dzulkefly to discuss the cultivation and export of marijuana, adding that it would prove lucrative.

He said this, while debating the motion of thanks for Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s royal address.

“The cultivation of marijuana could bring in big yields, approximately RM9mil a year for 0.45ha with three harvests,” added Mohd Shaid.

He added that the returns surpassed the profits of oil palm at RM3000 for the same 0.45hectares and said that Selangor would be on the world map as the largest exporter, if it could plant more than 40ha.

He, however, said that access to the plantation should be tightly controlled.

”Do not worry about the black market, we will need to tighten the system,” he added.

However, Dr Idris Ahmad (PH-Ijok) was quick to caution the assembly on the difficulty of the situation.

He said they would have to tread carefully before venturing into this field.

“Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes historically. However, it has been misused and turned into an addiction. We have to be careful to ensure our people do not become marijuana addicts,” Dr Idris said.

He said that he knew the difficulties of controlling medication as a doctor, adding that even the simplest medications controlled by the Health Ministry can be easily obtained.

“I’m a doctor, I know this problem regarding controlled medicine. We need to have better enforcement of laws,” he added.