Within 10 years, the drug trade will reach up to $ 60 billion. 33% is for medical use; 67% for recreational use. China and Hong Kong prohibit growth and use, but half of the world's patents on the use of Indian cannabis are of Chinese property. In medicine, marijuana is used to alleviate problems related to Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and cancer. But its use creates addiction and problems to the heart and the brain.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - The marijuana market is flourishing and within the next 10 years will reach a value of around 60 billion US dollars. Although there are still many legal blocks, Asia is becoming the center for investment, research and (perhaps) the use of cannabis.
Already this year Thailand and Malaysia are preparing to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes. China, where so far growth and consumption of light drug is prohibited, is among the largest investors in research, backed by government investment.
Out of over 600 world patents related to cannabis, 309 are Chinese property and concern the use of hemp to produce food and textiles, as well as the production of cannabidiol, the element that is used in medicine as an analgesic. Although in China, its consumption remains illegal, the government allows experiments for the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and cancer.
According to some experts in the field, China will legalize the use of cannabis within one or two years. It must be said that according to commercial studies on the subject, the medicinal use of marijuana covers only 33% of the market; the remaining 67% concerns the recreational use of drugs.
So far in the world, only 34 countries have legalized the medicinal use of marijuana. Canada and Uruguay are the first two that have also legalized recreational use.
Just yesterday, 200 world cannabis investors met at a symposium in Hong Kong to discuss possibilities for collaboration in markets where drugs are legalized. They also called on the Hong Kong government to legalize the medicinal use of cannabis.
Saul Kaye, the founder of an Israeli cannabis company, said that "marijuana is not a drug. It is a great medicine and it is natural. We have really started to revolutionize cannabis thinking. "
But not everyone agrees with him. According to Prof. William Chui Chun-ming, of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists, although cannabis "is a natural medicine, this does not mean that it is not dangerous. Although it can relieve pain and anxiety, it produces a series of negative effects, such as an increase in heartbeat and brain problems. It is addictive ".