Anutin-led ministry to fully promote medical cannabis

By Pratch Rujivanarom
The Nation

 

 

The newly formed government has promised a bright future for medical cannabis in Thailand, after pledging to move forward with the medical cannabis policy to ensure access to cannabinoid medicines and also give people the right to grow cannabis legally at home.

 

However, some medical experts have expressed concern and are urging the government to reconsider this policy, warning that the imprudent promotion of medical cannabis will cause more harm than good to society.

 

After officially taking over as new Public Health Minister on Thursday, Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also the leader of the government’s coalition partner Bhumjaithai Party, announced his vision and plan to push forward the medical cannabis policy. He said the ministry under his leadership will fully promote the use of cannabis for medical purposes with the prime objective of ensuring easy access to cannabinoid medicines for all patients.

 

Anutin said the ministry would register cannabinoid medicines on the National List of Essential Medicines in order to bring it under the Universal Coverage Scheme.

 

He also revealed that the government was planning to legalise the planting of cannabis and allowing people to grow up to six cannabis plants at home in order to make it even easier to use cannabis as a household herbal medicine.

 

“We realise that it is not easy to achieve our ultimate goal of medical cannabis liberalisation, because there are many obstructions from laws and regulations both within our ministry and at related agencies,” he said.

 

“However, we are still committed to the medical cannabis policy as far as we can by reforming the regulations and management system of our ministry to suit our course and by closely coordinating with all related agencies, especially the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, to let them amend regulations on their side which are hindering the medical cannabis liberalisation efforts.”

 

Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Sukhum Karnchanapimai said that by next month every hospital under the Public Health Ministry will be ready to prescribe the first batch of standardised cannabinoid medicines to registered patients

 

Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Centre Board member Dr Bundit Sornpaisarn, however, warned that the Bhumjaithai medical cannabis policy would give too much freedom for cannabis usage, which could adversely affect society and eventually undermine the stability of the government.

 

Bundit pointed out that lack of proper controls in this policy to restrict the owning and consumption of cannabis will expose large loopholes for cannabis abuse, especially among the young generation, which could lead to various social problems such as addiction, traffic accidents from driving under the influence of cannabis, health problems, and brain development issues in the youths.

 

“Though the amendment to the Narcotics Act has already legalised the use of cannabis for medical purposes, the planting and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes remains illegal under the country’s as well as international laws,” he said.

 

“Therefore, the government needs to come out with stronger cannabis-control measures to discourage the abuse of medical cannabis and prevent them from falling into the hands of people who are not registered patients and into the narcotics black market.”

 

He also called for intensive regulation of cannabis for medical use, as not every kind of sickness could be cured with cannabinoid medicines. Patients also have to strictly follow medical advice and carefully take the cannabinoid medicines under a doctor’s guidance.

 

Anutin assured that the government’s cannabis policy was solely for medical research and treatment and not for recreational use.

 

He agreed that after legalising general cannabis planting, people would have full rights over how to use the cannabis in their homes, but he warned that it would still be illegal to sell or buy cannabis.

 

“Cannabis is similar to every other thing. It has both pros and cons, so it is up to us to use it wisely and benefit from it or abuse it and suffer the negative consequences,” he said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30373328

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-07-22

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You rarely if ever hear the opponents of cannabis comparing the negatives of alcohol and tobacco with the negatives of cannabis?

28 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

You rarely if ever hear the opponents of cannabis comparing the negatives of alcohol and tobacco with the negatives of cannabis?

Money talks, and it buys silence.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Centre Board member Dr Bundit Sornpaisarn, however, warned that the Bhumjaithai medical cannabis policy would give too much freedom for cannabis usage, which could adversely affect society and eventually undermine the stability of the government.

Where do they get these bullshit ideas from?

Are they saying everyone in government would be high smoking dope?

 

As i said in another post these officals have watched th movie Reefer Madness too many times

4 hours ago, nickstav said:

Money talks, and it buys silence.

It also buys "experts" who can claim about "more bad than good"

5 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Are they saying everyone in government would be high smoking dope?

That's the best suggestion I've heard for improving the current administration I've heard!

7 hours ago, webfact said:

However, some medical experts have expressed concern and are urging the government to reconsider this policy, warning that the imprudent promotion of medical cannabis will cause more harm than good to society.

The doctors in this group of "medical experts" are probably the same one who send terminally ill cancer patients home with paracetamol and refuse to prescribe opiates because "opiates will make the dying person a "drug addict"" and "Buddhist suffering is man's lot in life" so why should doctors offer palliative care.  

Personally I consider these "medical experts" to be inhuman monsters who are completely devoid of human compassion.  My guess is that when their own time is up and they are suffering they suddenly become opiate proponents to ease there own personal suffering considering they have access that normal people do not.  And as such, who needs medical marijuana. 

Edited July 22, 20197 yr by connda

7 hours ago, webfact said:

After officially taking over as new Public Health Minister on Thursday, Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also the leader of the government’s coalition partner Bhumjaithai Party, announced his vision and plan to push forward the medical cannabis policy. He said the ministry under his leadership will fully promote the use of cannabis for medical purposes with the prime objective of ensuring easy access to cannabinoid medicines for all patients.

Kudos for his enlightened position.  Obviously he's the right person to have at the helm of the Public Health Ministry.  Personally I'd like access to THC-free CBD oil to use to treat a couple of aggravating chronic conditions I have that simply are a product of a life-time of athleticism and now old age.  I have no desire to light up a blunt - been there, done that, have no desire to it any more. Nor do I wish to use CBD that contains THC.  

I prefer clarity of mind.  And I believe that most people who will benefit from products like CBD aren't interested in getting high, but conversely, they are interested in treating conditions that research has shown are alleviated by the use of marijuana-based drugs.
So hopefully Dr Sukhum Karnchanapimai can pave the way to allowing Thai companies and Thai growers to work together to bring products like high-quality CBD to the marketplace. 

He means business and takes his key election promise seriously. That in itself is refreshing.

Mr Anutin has certainly no proper interest in cannabis business. And it's very important to promote it, much more important that fighting poority. Thailand will be soon LOR, land of dream.