ARAU (Bernama) - Universiti Malaysia Perlis (Unimap) has become the first public university in the country to conduct research on hemp (a member of the cannabis sativa plant) as an agricultural product with the potential of being economically developed in the future.

Its vice-chancellor, Professor Dr Zaliman Sauli said for that purpose, Unimap has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Kuala Lumpur-based company MyUS Hemphouse Sdn Bhd.

The Malaysian Court of Appeal is set to hear the appeal of a man who was convicted of and received a death sentence for trafficking cannabis, which he said he used for medical purposes.

In August 2018, Muhammad Lukman Mohamad, a 30-year-old father, was found guilty in the Shah Alam High Court after being charged with three counts of trafficking approximately 3,000 ml of delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (oil), 1,422 g of delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol and just over 279 g of cannabis flower in Bandar Mahkota, Banting in December 2015.

In an era where veganism and a “woke” mentality dominates the Western cultural climate, holistic health remedies are just around every corner.

It’s no surprise cannabis and CBD alternatives are growing in popularity, even in Muslim cultures where the substance is strictly forbidden. With regard to cannabis, Sharia law has established that the cultivation and consumption of cannabis [shahdaneh] for the purpose of narcotic use is forbidden and considered a sin against the commands of Allah (God).

Sydney-based medical cannabis grower and manufacturer THC Global (ASX: THC) is buddding in Asia through a new partnership with Malaysian bio-tech company Heleogenics.

Through the partnership, THC's main goal is to liaise with the Malaysian government and push for its legalisation of medicinal cannabis as well as the development of policy frameworks and legislation.

THC will also work with Heleogenics to explore options in other Asian countries where there may be opportunities to enter fledgling cannabis markets.

Heleogenics has pioneered solutions that accelerate the breeding of new varieties of plants, and THC CEO Ken Charteris says it's a coup to have them on board.

While Thailand recently became the first in Southeast Asia to legalize medical marijuana, its neighbor Malaysia is still mulling.

Now Jeram assemblyman Mohd Shaid Rosli is trying his best to make his fellow politicians realize the money making capabilities of the herb.

Despite laughter, the lawmaker has proposed that parts of the Kuala Selangor constituency be turned into an agricultural hub to cultivate and research the marijuana plant for medical purposes.

The move comes after a man was sentenced to death for selling it.

Malaysia is looking into changing its law to legalize medical marijuana, which would make it the first Asian country to do so.

A man has been sentenced to death in Malaysia for processing cannabis oil and distributing it to patients in need.

On 30 August, the Shah Alam High Court sentenced Muhammad Lukman to death by hanging, after he was convicted of possessing, processing, and distributing cannabis oil. Three litres of cannabis oil and 279 grams of compressed cannabis were found in his home, according to local sources.