Thailand: first batch of medical cannabis delivered to hospitals

The Thai government delivered 4,500 5-ml bottles of cannabis oil to the Ministry of Public Health this week. Minister Anutin Chanvirakul presided over the ceremony in which the Government Pharmaceutical Organization handed over the bottles to the Ministry. The bottles are expected to be distributed shortly to 12 hospitals, which will be responsible for distributing them to patients. «The freedom to use medical cannabis begins now,» Anutin said.

Thailand, which has long used cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue, has legalized cannabis for medical purposes last December, following special sessions of Parliament that hastened the legalization. In fact, the regulations weren't ready yet, which explains why this marks the first official use of medical cannabis, nearly eight months after the law was passed.

Anutin said he believes cannabis should be classified as a medicine because it can relieve epileptic seizures, Parkinson’s disease, and the side effects of chemotherapy. The minister was elected in March 2019 while he was leading the Bhumjaithai Party, one of whose flagship initiatives was the legalization of medical cannabis. Under his influence, an amendment allowing traditional doctors to prescribe medical cannabis was passed a few weeks ago, thereby allowing 3,000 practitioners to continue practicing legally.

The country began domestic production last January. The introduction of cannabis cultivation took place relatively quickly, mainly out of fear that Foreign companies are gaining a monopoly of this emerging industry. Cannabis oil The one produced by the Thai government comes in three versions : one containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one containing cannabidiol (CBD), and one containing both compounds. The government pharmaceutical agency stated that its products contain safe concentrations of chemical compounds derived from cannabis plants. The ministry expects to receive an additional 2,000 bottles by the end of the month, and Anutin said he hopes Thais will have access to 1 million bottles of the extract within five to six months.