South Korea to authorize cannabis-based medicines

South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that, a few days ago, that he supported the bill allowing certain patients with rare and incurable diseases to use cannabis-based medications. By amending the current Narcotics Control Act, the bill would authorize the importation and use of cannabis-derived medications—already approved abroad—for patients who have exhausted other treatment options.

A Long-Awaited Opening

If passed, this bill will take effect by the end of the year. It was introduced by Representative Shin Chang-Hyun of the Democratic Party, who proposed the bill to the National Assembly last January and has just secured the support of the relevant ministry.

This is a significant step forward for South Korea, where anti-cannabis laws are very strict: absolutely everything related to cannabis is prohibited, except for fibers and seeds—and even then, only under very restrictive conditions. The use of certain compounds may be tolerated for academic research purposes. However, according to Shin Chang-hyun, other drugs such as opium, morphine, cocaine, and opioids in general are permitted for medical purposes, which may seem paradoxical given the high risk of addiction and the significant side effects associated with these substances.

The law responds to growing demand from patients for medical cannabis, particularly those for whom traditional treatments are ineffective and who find themselves without alternative treatments. The recent case of a mother who was arrested and convicted for purchasing cannabis oil abroad for her son, who has brain cancer, helped bring these desperate situations to the public’s attention and raise awareness among elected officials, which ultimately led to a shift in policy. A similar pattern has already been observed in European countries such as the United Kingdom for example.

In reality, limited access

In order to import the medications in question, affected patients must obtain prior approval from a doctor and the Ministry of Food and Pharmaceutical Safety. They will then be permitted to import medications that have already been approved abroad, such as the Sativex, Epidiolex, the Marinol and Canemes/Cesamet. Any other substance that has not been approved by foreign health authorities remains strictly prohibited.

The announcement by the Ministry of Food and Pharmaceutical Safety came after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved, In late June, Epidiolex, a cannabidiol-based medication. In light of the global trend and growing patient demand, South Korea has, in a sense, caught up with the times.