New committee to help resolve issues over marijuana patents, says Prajin

By KORNKAMOL AKSORNDEJ, 
KORNRAWEE PANYASUPPAKUN 
THE NATION 

 

 

THE GOVERNMENT expects the controversy over cannabis-related patents to end within two weeks, with discussions for a solution focusing on national interests and the benefits to Thai people.

 

“We are going to establish a committee on Thai and international laws related to marijuana soon. This committee will talk with the Intellectual Property Department [IPD] to find solutions to patent issues,” Deputy PM and Justice Minister ACM Prajin Juntong said yesterday.

 

 

Civic organisations have lately cried foul after discovering that all cannabis-related applications filed for patents with the IPD came from foreigners. 

 

Highland, a civic organisation pushing for the legalisation of medical marijuana in Thailand, yesterday asked why the IPD had accepted those applications when the plant remained illegal. 

 

The legalisation of marijuana aside, Thai law in fact forbids patent registration of “naturally occurring micro-organisms and their components, animals, plants, or extracts from animals or plants”, it added. 

 

According to Highland, cannabis-related patent applications in the IPD system involved natural compounds of cannabis. And despite the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) urging the IPD to revoke illegal patent requests in May, these applications have not yet been thrown out.

 

‘Reject at the first step’

 

“The IPD has a duty to reject the applications at the first step since they are against the law. But those [patent] requests have continued to exist in the IPD’s system,” Highland’s core members Chokwan Kitty Chopaka and Arun Avery said. 

 

Claims by the IPD that it could not reject the applications because of the agreement on international property rights (TRIPS) were dismissed by BIOTHAI Foundation director Witoon Lianchamroon and FTA Watch. “The TRIPS agreement cannot override Thai law.

 

Besides, that agreement has nothing to say about marijuana,” Witoon said. 

 

Doubts are now emerging over whether the authorities’ push for legalisation of medical marijuana is intended to grant monopolies to those who have already prepared for legalisation. Thais have not had an opportunity to seek patents over marijuana because cannabis continues to be classified as an illegal drug.

 

Speaking at a seminar on medical marijuana laws in Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, Prajin yesterday said joint ventures could be considered if there were restrictions over medical formulas. 

 

“We will make sure that foreigners are not the sole beneficiaries,” he said. 

 

 

Prajin added that there were plans to let farmers in community enterprises grow cannabis. 

 

“Cannabis exports will create opportunities for Thai farmers. But such farming will be allowed when we have put efficient control measures in place. We need to prevent cannabis from leaking to unauthorised persons,” he said. 

 

The draft bill to allow marijuana use for medical and research purposes is now in the hands of the National Legislative Assembly. 

 

At the same seminar with Prajin, Adam Benjamin from Medifarm Australia said cannabis extracts were useful to patients suffering from cancer, seizures, Parkinson’s and other diseases and conditions. 

 

“Thailand should make use of the opportunities marijuana offers. We are ready to support Thailand’s research on medical marijuana. We won’t charge the Thai government for the support we will provide,” he said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30359038

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-22

"...New committee to help resolve issues over marijuana patents..."

 

A new committee?

 

Sigh...

 

Double sigh...

 

Triple sigh...

 

 

17 minutes ago, webfact said:

We are going to establish a committee on Thai and international laws related to marijuana soon. 

Never in the history of midnite toking has so much <deleted> been spoken about a weed that has grown uninhibited for 000's of yrs in the wild .. The climate in Thailand is ideal and it ain't rocket science to grow so why don't you just hand out a load of seeds to whoever wants 'em and let them get on with it .. All this teeth gnashing and hand wringing is borrucks .. Just get on with it .. 

2 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Never in the history of midnite toking has so much <deleted> been spoken about a weed that has grown uninhibited for 000's of yrs in the wild .. The climate in Thailand is ideal and it ain't rocket science to grow so why don't you just hand out a load of seeds to whoever wants 'em and let them get on with it .. All this teeth gnashing and hand wringing is borrucks .. Just get on with it .. 

would certainly improve the grazing.....

12 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...New committee to help resolve issues over marijuana patents..."

 

A new committee?

 

Sigh...

 

Double sigh...

 

Triple sigh...

 

 

What Thailand actually needs is a new committee to decide whether or not it needs any more committees.

 

I just want to know where I can get a prescription and where can I get that prescription filled. 

We need to prevent cannabis from leaking to unauthorised persons,” he said. 

 

So, what you are saying is that the healing properties of weed should only be for authorised people? Fxxxing grow up!!!!!

13 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

What Thailand actually needs is a new committee to decide whether or not it needs any more committees.

 

Perhaps we should form a committee to decide whether the committee that decides if Thailand needs a new committee needs a committee?

6 hours ago, geronimo said:

Perhaps we should form a committee to decide whether the committee that decides if Thailand needs a new committee needs a committee?

Yeah, but. . . 

 

. . . they'd probably have to form another committee to decide whether our committee was qualified to decide whether a new Government comittee was needed to decide whether more committees were required.

 

It's the perfect bureaucratic storm!

I recently watched a good TV series called "Narcos" on Netflix.  An interesting docu-drama, quite clearly disseminating information about drugs and the need for "committees"....

Its funny to me, the whole point of marijuana is that it renders comity waffles irrelevant in the eye of the users.


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