Thailand yesterday opened its first full-time clinic specializing in traditional and alternative cannabis-based medicine, as part of a move by the government toward developing a medicinal cannabis industry.
“This is a pilot clinic, because we cannot produce enough doctors with expertise in cannabis,” Thai Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at the opening ceremony in Bangkok.
“Today marks the beginning. We are fighting for the better health of Thai people and fighting for a better economy,” he said, standing next to a marijuana leaf mascot wearing a doctor’s coat.
Photo: EPA/EFE
Patients are to receive treatment free of charge in the first two weeks, he added.
Hundreds of mostly elderly Thais waited to receive the 5mg to 10mg vials of oil for muscle aches, though some came bearing more serious ailments — such as Natjuta, born with cerebral palsy and confined to a wheelchair.
Her mother, Supatra Ulapatorn, said cannabis oil helps her daughter to sleep better and stay calmer.
“She does not sleep well which causes me not to sleep either,” the 60-year-old said. “She is more calm now, so I think it works.”
Thailand, which has a tradition of using cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue, legalized marijuana for medical use and research in 2017 to boost agricultural income.
There are already about 25 cannabis clinics attached to general hospitals around the nation, but, unlike the pilot clinic, they operate for just a few days a week due to a lack of specialized staff.
The largest producer of medicinal cannabis is the ministry’s Government Pharmaceutical Organization.
Kasetsart University director of medical cannabis research Natakorn Thasnas said that the university would supply 2,200kg of cannabis leaf to the ministry.
Cannabis production, cultivation and sale has been limited to licensed producers for the next four years to protect the domestic industry. Only hospitals and research facilities are allowed to apply for cannabis production and extraction licenses, but the government is reviewing regulations to enable Thai businesses to apply for permits.
Thailand last year dropped cannabis and hemp extracts from its narcotics list, and proposed a law that would allow each household to grow six cannabis plants.
Four types of drugs, containing different combinations of cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, were given to patients to treat migraine, insomnia, neck pain and muscle stiffness, the ministry said in a statement.
The pilot clinic expects to cater to between 200 and 300 patients daily.
“I was worried at first, but I studied the effects and decided it was better because it’s natural,” said Waraporn Boonsri, 69, who received four vials of cannabis oil to help her sleep.
Nearly 2,200 patients have registered at the clinic, a health official said.
Anutin said there are plans for 77 clinics to be opened across the nation, with one in every province.
Recreational use and trade of marijuana remains illegal, with anyone caught with a joint facing up to 10 years in prison.
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