Marijuana for medicinal use ‘within eight months’

[webfact]

Marijuana for medicinal use ‘within eight months’

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION 

 

 

Agencies step up research, confident law will be changed; recreational use to be illegal.
 

THAILAND’S Governmental Pharmac-eutical Organisation (GPO) has begun researching how to develop medicines from marijuana in acknowledgement of evidence that the outlawed substance has health-enhancing properties. It is also seeking to initiate a legal amendment that would permit cannabis for medicinal use, possibly by May next year.

 

 

GPO chairman Dr Sopon Mekthon yesterday said that with the prospect of marijuana being legalised in certain circumstances, his organisation had begun working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Narcotics Suppression Bureau to launch a research project on developing and mass-producing medicines from marijuana.

 

The Narcotics Suppression Bureau has already given 100 kilograms of seized marijuana to the GPO as raw material for their research. 

 

Sopon said Thailand has the potential to be a world leader in the development and production of cannabinoid medicines, which would enhance the efficiency of medical care and treatments in many patient groups. Exporting high-priced medical cannabis extracts could also yield the country sizeable profits.

 

“Despite marijuana still being considered a harmful drug, its medicinal benefits are widely accepted and it is also scientifically proven that marijuana contains many medicinal compounds that can efficiently treat the side effects of chemotherapy, chronic pain, muscle spasticity and epilepsy,” Sopon said.

 

“As a preparation for the decriminalisation of medical marijuana, GPO’s research team is now working on a research project to produce a medical cannabis extraction prototype in the form of a cannabis oil sublingual drop, which will be the initial ingredient for drugs production and can also be used as a substrate for further medicine development.” 

 

 

Sopon estimated that the research team would be able to extract 10 to 15 litres – or 18,000 bottles – of concentrated cannabis oil from the first 100 kilograms of marijuana.

 

He said the GPO expected to produce the preliminary results of its research by the end of this year. 

 

It is estimated that the research team will better understand the quality, cannabinoid substances, and unique medicinal properties of marijuana through various regional sources. These breakthroughs will allow the GPO to assess the feasibility for upscaling the medicine development to clinical trial level and further plan for commercial production.

 

 

GPO managing director Dr Withoon Danwiboon revealed that if the outcome of the research indicated hopeful signs for medicine development and commercial production of new medical products, his organisation planned to expand production to an industrial scale.

 

“Initially at this stage, the main base for medical research and development on marijuana remains at our head office in Bangkok,” Withoon said.

 

“In the next step, for increased production scale and research project expansion, we plan to develop a special facility for the entire chain of cannabis medicine development and production at our land plots in Chon Buri.

 

“We will have our own marijuana cultivation farm, laboratories and production plants at this new facility so as to ensure the quality of the product and sufficient level of surveillance for preventing any efforts to take marijuana out or other abuses.”

 

He said it was very important to maintain a high level of security, because even after the law amendment allowed medical use of marijuana, expected by May next year, recreational use of the drug would still be illegal.

 

“The most prominent goal of our research is to use marijuana, which is a native plant of this region and can grow very well in the country’s tropical environment, as a key ingredient to develop many types of new medical products and medicines,” Sopon said.

 

“Locally produced medicines from marijuana will not only enhance public access to high-quality drugs but also reduce the reliance on imported, expensive products.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30355206

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-26

[The manic]

Thai stick..stops you getting sick!

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Marijuana for medicinal use ‘within eight months’

dog months

[mok199]

Brownies at the buffet ??

[bluesofa]

32 minutes ago, mok199 said:

Brownies at the buffet ??

You must be thinking of Prawit.

 

[JaiDeeMakh]

I feel a chronic back pain coming on...

[Skytrain2hell]

I really hope this happens. My daughter suffers from seizures, and the meds that she takes for that really slow her down. I've heard great things about medical cannabis from those who have tried it in the states.

[bluesofa]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Narcotics Suppression Bureau has already given 100 kilograms of seized marijuana to the GPO as raw material for their research. 

Didn't we used to see seized drugs hauls being burnt? Where might this 100kg have come from, if it is all supposed to be disposed of?

Perhaps 'disposed of' is a better way to emphasise it.

 

[fvw53]

38 minutes ago, Skytrain2hell said:

I really hope this happens. My daughter suffers from seizures, and the meds that she takes for that really slow her down. I've heard great things about medical cannabis from those who have tried it in the states.

 

I hope you can see on Youtube the CNN documentary  "WEED" (4 episodes) presented by neurosurgeon Dr Sanjay Gupta

He explains that children with seizures can be helped a lot with cannabis /  a niece of my Thai wife is now a young adult women who became brain damaged from seizures as a baby and if cannabis would have been given to her she would be now a normal aldult person

[Chicken George]

pain relief? Joint pain and muscle pain. Will it help? Or will that part of the drug be removed?

 

[NextStationBangkok]

Chronic pain or acute pain cases can be treated with Marijuana oil extract.

Especially those patients in their final stages of life from severe illness.

 

I feel smoking Marijuana should still be banned from saving the future generation kids.

[Skytrain2hell]

1 minute ago, NextStationBangkok said:

Chronic pain or acute pain cases can be treated with Marijuana oil extract.

Especially those patients in their final stages of life from severe illness.

 

I feel smoking Marijuana should still be banned from saving the future generation kids.

 

Did it screw up the 60's 70's generation so bad that you're worried?

[Easy Come Easy Go]

This really is awesome and I hope it isn't a bunch of hearsay! 

[inThailand]

Will it be as hard to get it as getting some? 

[steelepulse]

For all of you asking about aches and pains, etc.  Look up CBD Oil and related products.  There are a lot of studies and information out there about the benefits being seen.    It's cannabis without the THC.  However would be nice to have medical here with THC included if gov't says it's legal for those with ailments.

[lubfishin]

You don't have to wait. You can purchase CBD oil right now on amazon. Com

[lubfishin]

My grandmother uses CBD oil for her joints and arthritis. It does not get you high at all. She thinks it is a miracle. it is a tragedy that world governments have kept us from this miracle plant for so long.

[steelepulse]

1 minute ago, lubfishin said:

You don't have to wait. You can purchase CBD oil right now on amazon. Com

Of course you can.  Good luck with Thai customs though.

[outre99]

31 minutes ago, NextStationBangkok said:

Chronic pain or acute pain cases can be treated with Marijuana oil extract.

Especially those patients in their final stages of life from severe illness.

 

I feel smoking Marijuana should still be banned from saving the future generation kids.

From what exactly?  All of the arguments against complete legalization have been debunked many times over and yet these stupid and outdated laws persists because people keep parroting them unthinkingly and without facts.

[Cadbury]

Originally when this welcome initiative was first suggested the PM didn't want to know about it and gave it the big thumbs down based on his own moralistic opinions. Now the switcheroo is on to get it developed quickly.

This rapid turn around is most welcome but I cynically suspect has not happened so much for humanitarian reasons but more that that his associates and "connected" friends can hear the money bells ringing and can see opportunities out there waiting for them. Consequently they have used their influence to change his mind. The fact that an election is in the horizon might also have something to do with it.

Some of his colleagues and some civil servants must be rubbing their hands but the most important thing is that people's chronic pain suffering might now be alleviated. 

 

[lubfishin]

The only thing that irritates me is the way the Thai government is going about this is by only allowing marijuana derivatives and extracts to be used as medicine. When creating an extract, you are losing some valuable cannabinoids that are also very helpful. To get the full benefit of the plant it is best vaporized. This is all about money. They will keep the plant illegal. Because they can control the distribution of the pills much easier. Money money money money

[lubfishin]

1 minute ago, lubfishin said:

The only thing that irritates me is the way the Thai government is going about this is by only allowing marijuana derivatives and extracts to be used as medicine. When creating an extract, you are losing some valuable cannabinoids that are also very helpful. To get the full benefit of the plant it is best vaporized. This is all about money. They will keep the plant illegal. Because they can control the distribution of the pills much easier. Money money money money

the British government wanted to control the distribution of salt and made it illegal for anyone to harvest salt from the sea. It is the same thing. Marijuana can be easily go grown in anyone's backyard or on their balcony or rooftop. it is a weed and we'll just grow in almost any condition. But the government doesn't want people to grow their own. They want to make big profits from the distribution. Mahatma Gandhi protested against the government by making his own salt from the sea in defiance of their stupid rules. Thailand will not allow people to cultivate their own medicine. I hope people stand up for their right to medicate and grow their own.

[dinsdale]

Medical pot. BAH! Just legalize it.

[lincolnshire poacher]

52 minutes ago, NextStationBangkok said:

Chronic pain or acute pain cases can be treated with Marijuana oil extract.

Especially those patients in their final stages of life from severe illness.

 

I feel smoking Marijuana should still be banned from saving the future generation kids.

Smoking anything is a bad idea, there are numerous other ways of using it.

I remember Adam Faith starring in a TV program many years ago that explored the different ways of promoting it when it became legal. Marijuana chocolate anyone ?

[hobz]

It's a step forward but the fact they won't make it legal for recreational use and calls it harmful pisses me off.

I think it's proven beyond reasonable doubt that it's best for everyone to completely legalize cannabis, for recreational use and medicinal use.

[moe666]

2 hours ago, Skytrain2hell said:

I really hope this happens. My daughter suffers from seizures, and the meds that she takes for that really slow her down. I've heard great things about medical cannabis from those who have tried it in the states.

My daughter uses it for Rumitoid Arthiritist, better than opioids for pain control

[moe666]

What company will get the contract I want to buy some stock

[hobz]

1 hour ago, NextStationBangkok said:

 

I feel smoking Marijuana should still be banned from saving the future generation kids.

Forcing the kids to buy weed from some shady dealer that has sprayed it with God knows what chemicals and pesticides is your idea of saving them? 

Forcing the kids to buy weed from some shady dealer that will also offer them heavier drugs is your idea of saving them?

Or you believe in some fairy tale where kids don't smoke because they care so much about the law?? 

 

If you said this 30 years ago I would let it go. But it's been proven way way beyond reasonable doubt that legalizing cannabis IS BETTER FOR EVERYONE.

 

People like you piss me off. Spreading complete nonsense.

 

Meanwhile they sell tramadol OTC where you can overdose and die for 40THB......

 

 

Edited September 26, 2018 by hobz

[hobz]

36 minutes ago, lincolnshire poacher said:

Smoking anything is a bad idea, there are numerous other ways of using it.

I remember Adam Faith starring in a TV program many years ago that explored the different ways of promoting it when it became legal. Marijuana chocolate anyone ?

People will still smoke. At least if it's legal there's a bigger chance of finding clean products that are not completely soaked in dangerous chemicals/pesticides.

The market for buying edibles and vaporizers would blossom too. Reducing harm further.

 

Edited September 26, 2018 by hobz

[Mikeasq60]

They have the special cops guarding the weed like its the devil incarnate. They should have the same security every time they unload the booze at Soi Cowboy! Or any other gin joint in Thailand, that's the killer in Thailand ALCOHOL!