Thailand develops its own variety of cannabis, Issara 01

Less than a year after legalizing medical cannabis, Thailand is beginning to produce its own cannabis.

Refusing to give foreign producers the upper hand, the country decided to quickly restructure its industry. A The clinic was recently designated To distribute the first bottles of cannabis oil, all doctors can prescribe cannabis including traditional doctors, authorization from the’Self-production was proposed and will surely be passed, and hemp and CBD extracts have been removed from the list of controlled substances.

To meet domestic demand for cannabis, Thailand has just opened its first legal industrial plantation near Chiang Mai, in the north of the country. 12,000 cuttings have been planted in a 3,000-square-meter greenhouse using organic farming methods and are expected to yield 2.4 metric tons of dried flowers as early as next February.

«These are historic first steps, paving the way for patients to be able to grow six cannabis plants at home. The university will be a place where ordinary people can learn how to plant and grow high-quality cannabis. Cannabis is not a political issue but a product that can benefit everyone’s health. In the near future, families will be able to grow it in their backyards just like any other plant,» he declared Anutin Charnvirakul, Minister of Public Health.

The cannabis will then be supplied to the government's Pharmaceutical Organization, which regulates the legalization of medical marijuana and will handle its distribution through its network.

The variety being cultivated is called Issara 01, which means “Independence” in Thai. Issara 01 is derived from local phenotypes and produces a balanced CBD:THC ratio that meets the most common needs of patients. Six other strains are currently being developed to offer different CBD:THC ratios and more specific treatments, including Maejo 1, named after Chiang Mai University—the country’s oldest agricultural institution, which oversees the cultivation.

The Thai government hopes that the first harvest will be enough to meet the high demand for medical cannabis. Supply shortages have so far been the main obstacle to the widespread availability of cannabis. For now, only patients with serious illnesses (end-stage cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, etc.) are receiving treatment.

Medical cannabis should, however, be available for less serious conditions such as insomnia, depression, or stress, as soon as supply meets demand.

The initial results of prescribing cannabis for medical purposes, which began a month ago, are encouraging. Cancer patients are experiencing a better quality of life and the side effects of their chemotherapy are being alleviated by taking cannabis oil, while half of the children with epilepsy have responded well to the treatment, according to the head of the Department of Medical Services, Somsak Akasin.