Indonesia's constitutional court has rejected a review of the country's drug law that would have paved the way for the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, Reuters reported.

Three women whose children have cerebral palsy, backed by civil society organizations in 2020, sued to revise the country's strict drug law, arguing that medical marijuana is used to treat symptoms.

Judges said there was insufficient research to justify a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs, but urged the government to "immediately" investigate the therapeutic use of the drug.

Decriminalizing marijuana would be a dramatic shift for a Southeast Asian country that has one of the strictest drug laws in the world, with penalties including life in prison and the death penalty.

The plaintiffs argued that banning drug use for medical reasons was a constitutional violation of citizens' rights to receive medical services and benefit from advances in science and technology.