Health authorities are reiterating they are only supporting medical uses of cannabis and do not sanction recreational use. The health minister says cannabis has medical benefits, similar to other Thai herbs that have now been recognized internationally.
Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reiterated the government’s cannabis policy, saying his ministry supports the correct and safe use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. He stressed that recreational use of cannabis has never been encouraged, with an announcement by the Ministry of Health recently prohibiting misuse.
One of the targets of the 20-year national strategy is to elevate the use of Thai herbal products. This is being pursued with the aim of making Thailand a regional leader in herbal health products. Sustained growth is expected to help transform Thailand into a regional center for herbal innovations. Mr Anutin said Thailand is expected to generate almost 50 billion baht in revenue from medicinal herbal products this year.
Dr Prapon Tangsrikertikul, a vice minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, visited Nakornping hospital in Chiang Mai to check the performance of the hospital’s cannabis clinic. He noted that the declassification of cannabis as a narcotic creates more opportunities for researching the medical applications of the herb. He added that medical cannabis use has increased after the declassification, especially in traditional Thai medicine practices.
DrPrapon, who is also an advisor to the health minister, said there are three stages to Chiang Mai’s 2022 medical cannabis promotion plan. The initial stage involves developing connectivity and networks between cannabis and hemp growers via a learning center for medical cannabis cultivation, while the next concerns the promotion of cannabis restaurants that meet quality and safety standards. The third stage covers the opening of medical cannabis clinics in the four pilot districts of Saraphi, San Patong, Mae Wang and Hot.(NNT)
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