Hemp proposed as alternative to medical marijuana

[webfact]

Hemp proposed as alternative to medical marijuana

By The Nation

 

Photo credit: ww.healthworxcbd.com

 

THE UNITED Nations will in the next few weeks consider whether to downgrade the classification of cannabidiol – currently a narcotic under international law, Kasetsart University agronomy lecturer Vichien Keeratinijakal said yesterday.
 

Vichien said the UN was considering reclassification because cannabidiol – found both in hemp and marijuana – had been shown to have medical benefits without the intoxicating properties of other cannabinoids, such as psychotropic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Some countries use cannabidiol in food-supplement products, he added. 

 

Vichien met with International Narcotics Control Board member Viroj Sumyai last month to discuss Thailand’s move to legalise medical marijuana.

 

With restrictions possibly set to be lifted on cannabidiol, Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) chairman Sopon Mekthon suggested that the government encourage farmers to grow hemp as a source of cannabis-related remedies rather than marijuana. 

 

More psychotropic effect

 

He said Thailand-grown marijuana still had a rather high THC level and yielded a low amount of cannabidiol, meaning people were more likely to take it for psychotropic effects. 

 

Sopon added that the government should legalise the growing of hemp, and study which strains to grow and where to cultivate in order to maximise the cannabidiol content.

 

Vichien, who has carried out GPO research into cannabis strains for medical purposes, said hemp (Cannnabis sativa L Subsp sativa) is judged different from marijuana (Cannabis sativa L Subsp indica (Lam) based on the amount of THC content. 

 

Thailand requires that hemp must contain less than 1 per cent THC, while the US requirement is for less than 0.3 per cent and Europe’s is for below 0.2 per cent. 

 

Vichien explained that if Thailand wanted to grow hemp to get cannabidiol for global export, it had to ensure the produce contained less than 0.3 per cent THC and make sure there was no heavy-metal contamination. 

 

The government may have to amend its regulation to cap THC content at 0.3 per cent, because anything higher is regarded as narcotic marijuana, the lecturer said. 

 

He added that if Thailand were to grow drought-hardy hemp, which is mostly cultivated for fibre and Omega oil-rich seeds besides cannabidiol, farmers could follow the dual model – focusing on both fibre and cannabidiol – that is applied by China, the world’s largest source of cannabidiol.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30360575

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-18

[akirasan]

I figured they'd find a way to stuff it up

[Lupatria]

The government has no interest in whether people get stoned or not, as well as whether they get drunk or not. This is primarily about monopolizing the market and ensuring absolute control over patents and licenses.

[ReMarKable]

This is not medical marijuana; does CBD help pain?  They are going to cultivate hemp without knowing if there is much demand in Thailand for CBD or without knowing its affect on humans?  The benefits of CBD have still not been established.

[NaamGin]

22 minutes ago, ReMarKable said:

This is not medical marijuana; does CBD help pain?  They are going to cultivate hemp without knowing if there is much demand in Thailand for CBD or without knowing its affect on humans?  The benefits of CBD have still not been established.

 

My experience is anecdotal, so YMMV. 

I began taking CBD oil 3 months ago due to severe arthritic pain in my knees. So bad in fact that I was considering surgery / replacement as I was no longer able to play golf or even go for a walk with my dogs. As a last resort, I tried CBD oil and the effects were almost immediate. No knee pain and I'm able to play golf again.

 

Hemp and it's derivatives of have been used for centuries for joint / muscle pain. If you are looking for a stamp of approval from an official source like the US FDA, don't hold your breath as they are nothing but a rubber stamp for the drug companies who want to sell you medications. 

[ReMarKable]

34 minutes ago, NaamGin said:

 

My experience is anecdotal, so YMMV. 

I began taking CBD oil 3 months ago due to severe arthritic pain in my knees. So bad in fact that I was considering surgery / replacement as I was no longer able to play golf or even go for a walk with my dogs. As a last resort, I tried CBD oil and the effects were almost immediate. No knee pain and I'm able to play golf again.

 

Hemp and it's derivatives of have been used for centuries for joint / muscle pain. If you are looking for a stamp of approval from an official source like the US FDA, don't hold your breath as they are nothing but a rubber stamp for the drug companies who want to sell you medications. 

I have tried it also and all it did was relax me a little, pleasant but not worth what I had to pay for it in Thailand.  I researched for its benefits and studies are inconclusive.  Glad it helped you,

[RickTik]

The global police state network, who wants to continue cannabis persecution, hides behind the corrupt U.N. to do their dirty deeds. My friends, our freedoms are under attack. Is Thailand really the LOS, or does the brutality of Thaksin still remain? 

[connda]

Actually, what all governments should do is get off of their moralistic high-horses and get over the THC content in the plant and plant products.  "We can not allow the masses to ingest a substance that will make them feel good - well, unless that substance is alcohol."  The only reason the uppity-ups in Thailand are even considering loosening the laws regarding the cultivation of ganja is directly related to the perceived amounts of money they feel they may be able to earn in the future.  Then the multiple foreign patents for the extraction of cannabidols showed up like a spanner being tossed into the works. As the elite Thai rulers have been wringing their hands over how to allow marijuana to be deregulated in order to allow research and develop processes that will separate cannabidol from THC - foreign corporations and research labs who are not constrained developed and then patented those processes already. <laughs> Now they are suffering from massive cognitive dissonance as they attempt to resolve how they can profit from the cultivation and sale of marijuana without allowing any of their citizens to actually feel good by ingesting THC.  So here it come - allow the cultivation of hemp with next to no THC then extract the cannabidols using processes that can't be patented, like boiling then drying. 
Yep - Their short-nearsightedness will still end up costing them billions in lost profits not only due to their inability to beat competitors in the medical marijuana field to the patents, but in the cultivation of marijuana for export to countries where ganja is legalized.  The key phrase in the article being: "He said Thailand-grown marijuana still had a rather high THC level and yielded a low amount of cannabidol", which in essence means that are going to miss the boat and market share in the 'legal' marijuana industry simply because they don't want their citizens (or any other people in the world) to ingest THC and then feel good (but alcohol is Ok). If they'd wake up, they'd realize that more and more countries are going to legalize marijuana and the higher THC products, like those that can be grown in Thailand, will be a sought after commodity.  Thailand has already missed the medical marijuana cannabidol extract train.  They've been left on the platform in their third-class diesel train as the rest of the world passes by in a Patented Cannabidol Bullet-Train.  Now let's see if they keep dragging their feet on the cultivation of legal marijuana for export (and they will drag their feet and they will miss their opportunity).  No doubt Myanmar will fill that market niche for them.

[Ulic]

Hemp clothing is far better for the environment than cotton. Is it possible to extract the CBD and still use the hemp fibers for clothing production? 

[hobz]

3 hours ago, ReMarKable said:

I have tried it also and all it did was relax me a little, pleasant but not worth what I had to pay for it in Thailand.  I researched for its benefits and studies are inconclusive.  Glad it helped you,

I find the benefits of skydiving are little to none but it kills people every year. 

Let informed, grown adults do what the heck they want.

The whole drug war is a sick abuse of power with only negative effects for everyone and a huge waste of money and resources.

[khunPer]

4 hours ago, ReMarKable said:

This is not medical marijuana; does CBD help pain?  They are going to cultivate hemp without knowing if there is much demand in Thailand for CBD or without knowing its affect on humans?  The benefits of CBD have still not been established.

Medical cannabis, "Cannabis indica" (Indian hemp) – or medical marihuana, if you prefer that expression– has a high content of CBD and only little THC...????

 

[ReMarKable]

23 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Medical cannabis, "Cannabis indica" (Indian hemp) – or medical marihuana, if you prefer that expression– has a high content of CBD and only little THC...????

 

I agree

[Syduan]

3 hours ago, RickTik said:

The global police state network, who wants to continue cannabis persecution, hides behind the corrupt U.N. to do their dirty deeds. My friends, our freedoms are under attack. Is Thailand really the LOS, or does the brutality of Thaksin still remain? 

is

Totally agree, the abolition of cannabis is just a scam pushed by the petro and pharmaceutical industries to line their own pockets once again whilst taking away freedom of choice for the masses. I wish more people would wake up to the fact before it gets too late.

 

[Thailand]

Whatever.this is awesome!

 

 

[yellowboat]

Were any of these people ever young once?  So much back and forth, hand ringing and mental gymnastics.  Understand scientific vetting is necessary, but for gwad sakes stop talking about it and get on with it.   It is good.  It is bad.  We know.