Monopoly of medical cannabis not in public interest: Experts

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

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AUTHORITIES overseeing a flood of patents for medical cannabis must consider the public interest, otherwise a commercial monopoly of the medicines and cultivation would result, experts warn.

 

 Advocacy group Thai Drug Watch said yesterday that the Intellectual Property Department is jeopardising public access to cannabinoid medicines and other drugs by limiting its focus to the economic benefits for big business. This would place full control over the entire product chain of medical cannabis in the hands of transnational pharmaceutical companies, it added

Somchai Ratanachueskul, dean of Dhurakij Pundit University’s Faculty of Law, said the concept of intellectual protection often served monopolies and should not apply to important things in people’s lives such as drugs.

 

“The current problems with cannabis medicine patents have arisen because the Intellectual Property Department is only considering the commercial aspect of the patent issue and only seeking to protect the interests of big pharmaceutical companies,” Somchai said.

 

“Therefore, if we want to solve these problems, we have to change the entire mindset of the agency and have them consider the social aspect and public interest of the patent issue as well.”

 

The Intellectual Property Department has still not revoked all cannabis medicine patent applications despite these warnings, said activists and experts yesterday.

 

Somchai said that in the past, Thailand did not provide intellectual property protection for medicines, preferring to prioritise patients’ well-being. But the country was forced by global trade to allow the registration of drug patents, as multinational companies sought to maximise their revenue.

 

Meanwhile, BioThai Foundation’s Withoon Lienchamroon also warned that the monopolisation of cannabis medicines would not be limited to the drug patents but also include corporate control over cannabis strains and farming. Withoon said investigations by the BioThai Foundation showed that GW Pharmaceuticals, which has applied for six cannabis drug patents in Thailand, is allied with Dutch firm HortaPharm, to be a provider of cannabis for medicines.

 

“If Thailand ratifies the CPTPP [free-trade deal], the country will automatically have to provide intellectual property protection for cannabis strains and this will lead to total control over the entire product chain of cannabis medicines by big pharmaceutical companies,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30361798

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-08

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the concept of intellectual protection often served monopolies and should not apply to important things in people’s lives such as drugs.

since when has a monopoly of anything been a greater good ?

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"Therefore, if we want to solve these problems, we have to change the entire mindset of the agency and have them consider the social aspect and public interest of the patent issue as well.”

Unfortunately this also means having to change the whole mindset of a government and ruling elite who, in almost everything they enact for this country, do so for the good of big business and against the interests on the average citizen, in this case the public interest.

When will we actually see CBD being prescribed in Thailand?

Will it be doctors surgeries and hospitals only?

Will you be able to buy it from pharmacies?

 

32 minutes ago, rtco said:

When will we actually see CBD being prescribed in Thailand?

Will it be doctors surgeries and hospitals only?

Will you be able to buy it from pharmacies?

 

OT...every country i read about, the govt is balls to wall into production of CBD.... with so much being produced and for sale on a world wide basis....who is buying it ?

1 hour ago, Lungstib said:

Unfortunately this also means having to change the whole mindset of a government and ruling elite who, in almost everything they enact for this country, do so for the good of big business and against the interests on the average citizen, in this case the public interest.

I would say that in general, Thai authorities act in their own interest before any other interests. Big business provides the right “arguments” (brown envelopes)  to align the authorities’ interests with their own.

The global pharmaceutical industry revenue is forecasted to reach an estimated $1,226.0 billion by 2018, with good growth over the next five years (2013-2018). ... The industry is engaged in discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of prescription drugs.

 

455.2 billion USD (2017)

 

Thailand/Gross domestic product

 

So, big pharma makes about 2 times the GDP of Thailand ~ there ya go

I recommend that the contract be given to King Power........

8 hours ago, webfact said:

the Intellectual Property Department is only considering the commercial aspect of the patent issue and only seeking to protect the interests of big pharmaceutical companies,

This is to be expected but at the same time the IPD sharpies will be working to protect their own interests.

The big pharmas have big envelopes and it will surely be those pharmas with the biggest envelopes which will win the patents.

With a few big pharmas having control of the whole product chain it is certain to guarantee a handsome initial reward and a generous ongoing income for some. It will be the suffering patients who will end up paying for any such likely corruption which is the hallmark of Thai business/government dealings.

at least someone is speaking up, get the small farmers involved, that would benefit this country a lot

Edited January 8, 20197 yr by piewarmer

3 hours ago, piewarmer said:

at least someone is speaking up, get the small farmers involved, that would benefit this country a lot

The Thai Govt. is never going to allow the riff-raff to get a piece of this lucrative market.  

My perhaps mistaken belief is that Australia will allow medicinal hemp.

That is the non THC variety of cannabis.

It is strange to think that hemp is a cheap and easy plant that creates rope, cloth and medicine.

I think all will agree that the THC variety is what most consumers want.

But crazy laws prevent the growing of hemp as an industrial plant. It is a counter productive idea from the US that introduced crazy prohibition laws.

To protect Dupont if memory serves me correct.

PS. The initial anti marijuana propaganda of the US 1930's told of rampaging Mexicans on marijuana who would violate young US girls. How little anyone has learned