GEORGE TOWN – The ketum plant industry needs to be regulated if there is a demand to legalise it, said a former deputy minister.
This comes in the wake of Thailand’s move to commercialise the plant, which is found mostly in northern Malaysia and southern Thailand.
It has herbal properties and can be processed into painkillers or opioids, hence the growing demand for the plant from the global pharmaceutical industry.
Former deputy agriculture and agro-based industries minister Sim Tze Tzin said that there is no issue with Malaysia emulating Thailand, but the main issue here is the abuse of the plant by those who turn it into ketum water, which is addictive.
Addicts crave ketum water as it is cheaper than traditional drugs like heroin or cocaine. Local to Indonesia and Malaysia, the tropical plant is banned for domestic consumption in the two countries.
Sim said that the United States Food and Drug Administration has a demand for certain species of ketum, or kratom, as it can help in the production of opioids and painkillers, making it a multi-million dollar industry.
Ketum leaves and its processed byproducts are exported to both Europe and the US, besides being majorly smuggled between Malaysia and Thailand.
Sim said that the herbal plant was used by the country’s forefathers as an energy booster drink after a hard day of toiling in the farms and plantations.
“But the modern generation sees it as an addictive stimulant that can generate euphoric effects for its users.
“Before Malaysia can emulate Thailand, it is best to regulate it effectively to prevent abuse,” Sim told The Vibes.
He was commenting on a statement released by Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Zahidi Zainul Abidin, who urged the federal government to legalise the commercial cultivation of ketum plants.
He said this following the move by Thailand to remove the plant from its dangerous drugs list, in view of the growing global demand for it.
Zahidi had said farmers are requesting that these two plants be allowed to be grown commercially as there is high global demand.
Traditionally, ketum leaves have been used to expel wind in the body and increase energy, while the water from the leaves is used as a traditional medicine to treat back pain, fever, cough, and worm disease, besides as a potential cure for diabetes and high blood pressure.
It was reported that from 2016, some 400 tonnes of ketum were exported from Southeast Asia to the US monthly. This is worth about RM529 million annually.
The plant is now widely grown in Felda schemes as a cash crop, following erratic demand for the traditional rubber and palm oil and as global warming has derailed the efficient cultivation of padi and fruits.
Zahidi said that rural farmers are suffering significant loss of incomes due to Covid-19, with many also falling ill with the virus.
“If there is a demand for ketum or hemp, we should position ourselves to capitalise on it for our agricultural sector,” said Zahidi. – The Vibes, August 30, 2021
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