Public outrage over a death penalty handed to a 29-year-old man is spurring Malaysia to start talks to legalise marijuana for medical use, racing to become the first Asian country to do so, according to Bloomberg. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad spoke candidly to reporters last week when he came to the defence of a man facing the death penalty for selling cannabis oil to patients, saying his sentence should be reviewed. Meanwhile, Nurul Izzah Anwar, a member of parliament from Mahathir’s coalition, said she would be writing a letter calling for the attorney-general to reconsider the conviction, Channel News Asia reports. A group of protestors held a candlelight vigil outside the Kajang Prison on Friday in conjunction with the International Day of Peace in support of the decriminalisation of medical marijuana.