Malaysia has some of the world's toughest drug laws, with casual users facing mandatory rehabilitation while those caught trafficking even modest quantities of marijuana getting the death penalty. But in a radical shift, the government is looking at becoming the second country in Southeast Asia, after Thailand, to legalize cannabis and a drug native to the region known as kratom for medical use. Rian Maelzer reports from northern Malaysia.

You won't see cannabis growing in Malaysia, not even non-high inducing hemp. But it's different for kratom or ketum, a stimulant with opioid qualities, though those caught processing, consuming or selling it face hefty fines or even jail.

RIAN MAELZER Penang, Malaysia "Despite the potential legal consequences, many people in northern Malaysia grow ketum trees in their gardens and make juice from the leaves."

University of Science Malaysia has been studying ketum for more than a decade, focusing on its potential for pain relief and to treat drug addiction.

DR. DARSHAN SINGH Center for Drug Research, University of Science Malaysia "They actually use ketum for many reasons. They use ketum to self-treat heroin withdrawal symptoms as well as crystal methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms. We also get to see another group, manual laborers especially. They use it as a stimulant drug to increase work productivity, to enhance physical endurance as well as to overcome fatigue. You also have people with medical disorders, like for example, they have diabetic, they have hypertension. So they actually use ketum for its therapeutic reasons."

Advocates of legalisation, including within government, warn Malaysia could lose out to neighbour Thailand on both the medical and economic benefits of ketum and cannabis.

ZAHIDI ZAINUL ABIDIN Malaysian Deputy Minister of Communications "I'm trying hard to legalize, for example, hemp and ketum. It doesn't bring any harm to the people. It brings good to the people, and creates income to the rural people so all the youths in the rural areas they don't have to come to the town area to get jobs."

Advocates face push back from law enforcement, and laws and regulations will have to be amended to legalize cultivation and use of medical cannabis and ketum.

DR. DARSHAN SINGH Center for Drug Research, University of Science Malaysia "I think ketum has huge potential but a lot of research has to be done because at present, there's a paucity of information about the scientific and medicinal value of ketum."

But since far less is known about it than for cannabis, Malaysia has an opportunity to become a global leader in research and development on kratom or ketum. Rian Maelzer, CGTN, PENANG, MALAYSIA.