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Cannabis patent applications from foreigners raise fears of monopoly


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Cannabis patent applications from foreigners raise fears of monopoly

By The Nation

 

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A Thai man with a marijuana tattoo on his face smokes and looks on during a protest held to show opposition to the patent for marijuana extracts, outside the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, 20 November 2018. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

 

ALL APPLICANTS for cannabis-related patents in the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) are foreigners, raising suspicion that the rush to legalise marijuana may have been designed to grant monopoly to certain groups.

 

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“Will the move pave the way for monopolies?” Panthep Phuaphongphan, dean of Rangsit University’s Institute of Integrative Medicine and Anti-Ageing, asked yesterday.

 

According to him, Thais are still not allowed to conduct research on marijuana-based medicines, but some foreigners have already filed applications seeking patents. 

 

However, the number of applications submitted varies as different sources base their estimates on the number of applications they believe have been rejected. 

 

So far, the number of total applications submitted lies between 11 and 13, and some of them have already been rejected. 

“If the Intellectual Property Department does not throw out all these applications now, we will consider taking legal action against it,” Panthep said.

 

Allow cannabis in traditional medicine 

 

Meanwhile, BIOTHAI Foundation’s director Witoon Lianchamroon also claimed to have received reports that the department was planning to approve two applications. 

 

“This might go against the law. According to law, a patent can only be granted to a new invention. It should be noted that traditional Thai medicine has long recognised marijuana’s medicinal properties,” he said.

 

Panthep emphasised that if the draft law legalising the medical use of marijuana sails through, then relevant authorities should ensure that cannabis can also be used in Thai traditional medicine. 

 

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In recent months, several authorities have been pushing hard for the legalisation of medical marijuana. At one point, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister ACM Prajin Juntong even considered the possibility of Article 44 being invoked as a means to allow the medical use of cannabis. 

 

With much lobbying, the bill to legalise medical marijuana has already gone to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) now. 

 

“We will start deliberating the bill on Friday,” NLA member Somchai Swangkarn said, adding that he expected the deliberation to take 60 days. 

 

However, the NLA is not ignoring concerns over cannabis-related patents, and summoned an IPD representative to testify yesterday. 

 

Direk Boontae, IPD’s deputy director-general, said patent applications could be revoked if the requests are deemed as illegitimate. 

 

“Some applications were submitted to us since 2004, but we never approved any cannabis-related patents,” he insisted. 

Meanwhile, Somchai said the department has already rejected several applications. 

 

“There are just seven cannabis-related applications pending as of now,” he said.

 

Marijuana is believed to have medical benefits for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, seizures, alleviating pain and promoting appetite. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30358979

 
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-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-21
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Pesky foreigners enjoying a Monopoly in Thailand? Surely the monopolies are reserved for Thais. Take Thailand Tobacco Monopoly, just the name reminds me of the work of the UK Monopolies and Mergers Comission trying to stamp out such things as are permitted within such fields in Thailand.

Grab doesn't face any anti-competition punishment for the merging of Uber in Thailand, but in Singapore they were fined a substantial amount. 

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from a business point of view the desire to protect research efforts is understandable , however to register a patent, there must be a technological innovation.

As someone already mentioned, patents have been granted elsewhere, since 1942 believe it or not.
 
Read for example this: https://www.forbes.com/sites/julieweed/2017/07/24/us-patent-office-issuing-cannabis-patents-to-a-growing-market/#620ebe9768d4
or google "cannabis patents"

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Meanwhile in Massachusetts the first two marijuana shops ( among a string of more to open soon)  selling legal weed, edibles and concentrates and collecting millions and millions and millions of $$$ or hundreds and hundreds of millions of baht have opened yesterday and each city and of course the state will have cuts of this through taxing. Thailand doesn’t need these funds I guess because this will probably happen way after the elections never  happen here. 

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35 minutes ago, Katipo said:

7/11's will shortly see an upswing in the sale of toasted cheese sandwiches I imagine ????

Lol so did you hear about the grilled cheese sandwich food truck  parked outside the first pot shop in Massachusetts that opened yesterday?? It was a big hit for some reason. I mean the opportunities are endless. 

Edited by alex8912
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See what happens when you get all hung up with moralizing about the use of marijuana?  Those who aren't hung up on moralizing end up beating you to the market and take what could have been your market share!
So as legislators, academics, and the power drunk (who really don't want the average person to have access to any plant which may make them feel good or expand the consciousness) dilly-dally, moralize, and try to figure ways to benefit financially from the medical use of marijuana without letting the end-user experience any pleasure - well, craftier minds and with greater greed will find ways to take over the legal market share of the marijuana industry to the point where Thai marijuana, no matter how good the quality, will essentially become irrelevant.

I believe the phrases that apply are:
"You snooze, you lose", and "You may have just missed the boat!", and "He who get's into the oven first gets the biggest piece of the pie."  
"

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1 hour ago, Estrada said:

I personally know well connected Thais who are producing Medical marijuana in California, who are behind the change in Thai law and wish to protect their monopoly.

This is nothing to do with "producers"...this is much, much bigger than some 2-bit grower in California satisfying US demand....if true.

 

They have no monopoly to protect in Thailand.

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2 hours ago, quandow said:

I read not too long ago of a Bayer/Monsanto effort to corner the market on marijuana. I'm SURE they're pushing hard around the globe to secure more than their fair share of the market using the usual strong arm, dirty tactics.

Their aim is to control the world's seed supply and force farmers to use only their suspect genetically-modified brands at exorbitant prices.

 

Good for Thailand if they say "No".

Edited by Krataiboy
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