Thailand’s Cannabis Debate Ignites After Doctor’s Insightful Article

[webfact]

AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

 

The national conversation in Thailand on the medical use of cannabis intensified this week, driven by an article from Associate Professor Dr Pattapong Kessomboon of Khon Kaen University’s Department of Family Medicine. Dr Pattapong's insightful piece challenged the prevalent misconceptions about cannabis, highlighting its significant, yet often ignored therapeutic benefits.

 

Dr Pattapong addressed concerns that many critics focus solely on the recreational use of cannabis, neglecting its proven medical efficacy. He presented several compelling case studies and research, showcasing cannabis’s potential in treating various medical conditions.

 

One notable instance included a patient with bipolar disorder who experienced significant improvement after switching from conventional medication to cannabis. Another case described an American veteran whose severe PTSD symptoms were managed effectively with cannabis, also averting suicidal thoughts.

 

Israel, a global leader in cannabis research, has been allowing medical cannabis use for over two decades. The results have been impressive, with 87% of patients preferring cannabis products with 18% THC for smoking.

 

In the United States, the legalisation of cannabis in 24 states saw usage increase from 11% in 2002 to 18% in 2022. Concurrently, cigarette smoking rates halved from 400 billion annually to 200 billion, reducing smoking-related illnesses.

 

Dr Pattapong suggested that opposition to cannabis might be driven by fears of declining tobacco and pharmaceutical sales. He called for a reconsideration of cannabis regulations in light of its demonstrated medical benefits.

 

Thailand, where cannabis was banned for 40 years, began reconsidering its stance with amendments to the Narcotics Act in 2018, led by Prof. Vicha Mahakun and Somchai Sawaengkan, which started facilitating its medical use.

 

A study on 8,560 Thai patients using cannabis showed that the most common conditions treated were cancer (49.1%), pain (29.4%), and severe stress (6.4%). Key symptoms addressed with cannabis included insomnia (79.1%), pain (77.1%), and fatigue (55.6%).

 

The study noted that 87% of patients preferred smoking products with 18% THC, while 67% opted for sublingual products with 15% CBD. Over six months, 55.4% to 90.8% of patients reported moderate to significant improvements without complications, with pain scores dropping from 6.7 to 3.4 out of 10.

 

-- 2024-07-02

 

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[mattyc1957]

Without reading the whole article, and I know the devil is in the details, but I didn't think there was a problem with using marijuana for legitimate medical purposes. 

[RSD1]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Dr Pattapong suggested that opposition to cannabis might be driven by fears of declining tobacco and pharmaceutical sales.

Naah, ya think?
 

Alcohol too more than anything. 

[9KPhalak]

21 minutes ago, mattyc1957 said:

Without reading the whole article, and I know the devil is in the details, but I didn't think there was a problem with using marijuana for legitimate medical purposes. 

He talks about the medical benefits of Marijuana, namely for cancer patients

[expat_4_life]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The national conversation in Thailand on the medical use of cannabis intensified this week, driven by an article from Associate Professor Dr Pattapong Kessomboon of Khon Kaen University’s Department of Family Medicine. Dr Pattapong's insightful piece challenged the prevalent misconceptions about cannabis, highlighting its significant, yet often ignored therapeutic benefits.

 

Thailand had legislation allowing medical use well before 2022, when the law was changed again.  I have not seen any call for eliminating the use for medical purposes.  It is actually a debate about recreational use and the fallout of the 2022 legislation.

 

Don't see that this article has anything to do with the current debate.

Edited July 1 by expat_4_life

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The national conversation in Thailand on the medical use of cannabis intensified this week, driven by an article from Associate Professor Dr Pattapong Kessomboon of Khon Kaen University’s Department of Family Medicine. Dr Pattapong's insightful piece challenged the prevalent misconceptions about cannabis, highlighting its significant, yet often ignored therapeutic benefits.

So let doctors at clinics and hospitals prescribe it with a prescription if it's needed for medical purposes, and sold at pharmacies.

Not wed shops on every street corner.

[NobbyClarke]

Medical supervised use yes

Recreational use no 

Look what has happened in the UK: more accidents on the roads, more fines for cannabis use, lots of youngsters would. rather be stoned than working. A lot of stabbing due to people owning money for cannabis.

If the doctor prescribes fantastic.

LOS has survived without it for many years.

Keep it that way in my humble opinion.

[Classic Ray]

5 minutes ago, NobbyClarke said:

Medical supervised use yes

Recreational use no 

Look what has happened in the UK: more accidents on the roads, more fines for cannabis use, lots of youngsters would. rather be stoned than working. A lot of stabbing due to people owning money for cannabis.

If the doctor prescribes fantastic.

LOS has survived without it for many years.

Keep it that way in my humble opinion.

Can you quote any sources for the trends in the UK you quote? 

[nobodysfriend]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Over six months, 55.4% to 90.8% of patients reported moderate to significant improvements without complications, with pain scores dropping from 6.7 to 3.4 out of 10.

That is a lot .

 

Cannabis is a medicine with consciousness enlarging properties .

It has been used for 1000s of years in the history of the world .

Only in our lifetime it has become illegal because the rulers do not want its psychedelic and healing effects .

It might diminish their profits .

Sign of the times ...

But time to wake up now and recognize it for what it is :

A tool to cure certain illnesses and generally :

A healer .

[Skipalongcassidy]

16 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

Can you quote any sources for the trends in the UK you quote? 

Typical bail out... google doesn't work on your computer or you are too lazy to search... the info is there.

[dinsdale]

Interesting. This is a diversion surely. I see this as dope being recriminalised as no longer the issue and focus now on medical use only which of course was the BJP initial approach. The focus should be recriminalisation vs regulation the latter being the only sane way to go and the former being the Thaksin way to go.

[newbee2022]

59 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

Naah, ya think?
 

Alcohol too more than anything. 

Sounds you'd like to change the rules..... alcohol on prescription only? Administered in hospitals? 😇😵‍💫😳😂

[nobodysfriend]

40 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So let doctors at clinics and hospitals prescribe it with a prescription if it's needed for medical purposes, and sold at pharmacies.

Not wed shops on every street corner.

 

Takuapa hospital .

[jonclark]

32 minutes ago, NobbyClarke said:

Medical supervised use yes

Recreational use no 

Look what has happened in the UK: more accidents on the roads, more fines for cannabis use, lots of youngsters would. rather be stoned than working. A lot of stabbing due to people owning money for cannabis.

If the doctor prescribes fantastic.

LOS has survived without it for many years.

Keep it that way in my humble opinion

Mate i am reporting you to the police for posting untrue information online.

[hotchilli]

3 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

Takuapa hospital .

As it should be... not sold by private weed shops on the street to anyone who walks in the door with money.

[jonclark]

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

As it should be... not sold by private weed shops on the street to anyone who walks in the door with money.

As long as they also sells rizlas and bongs fine by me. Be nice to get some weed from a cute nurse. 

[dinsdale]

50 minutes ago, NobbyClarke said:

Medical supervised use yes

Recreational use no 

Look what has happened in the UK: more accidents on the roads, more fines for cannabis use, lots of youngsters would. rather be stoned than working. A lot of stabbing due to people owning money for cannabis.

If the doctor prescribes fantastic.

LOS has survived without it for many years.

Keep it that way in my humble opinion.

Total and absolute BS. LOS was the land that the magnificent Buddha sticks came from some 5 decades ago. Of course you wouldn't know this as your knowledge of dope or lack thereof is well demonstrated in your post.

Edited July 2 by dinsdale

[ezzra]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He presented several compelling case studies and research, showcasing cannabis’s potential in treating various medical conditions.

Yes, he probably refer to straight tincture CBD oil without the THC components in them that can be of a great

help in many situations, were the THC is the stuff that gives you you the 'high' but and it can also be used for people

going trough painful treatments such as chemo etc...

[SportRider]

22 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Typical bail out... google doesn't work on your computer or you are too lazy to search... the info is there.

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for some links to support assertions of fact in such a contentious matter?  Seems a courteous thing to do. 

 

Top of Google says: 

"Despite the alarming increase reported, cannabis use remains a minor contributor to traffic collisions (1.01%) compared to 8.79% involving alcohol use." 

[charmonman]

33 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Typical bail out... google doesn't work on your computer or you are too lazy to search... the info is there.

First of all it is normally the responsibility of the person making the claims to provide the evidence for those claims. Second, I was not aware that the UK had legalized recreational cannabis use.

[jonclark]

29 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

Takuapa hospital .

Lets hope the kids at the child asmtha clinic (sign below cannabis clinic)  dont end up in the cannabis clinic. Exposing sick kids to the evil of  cannabis..terrible or maybe they treat child asmtha with cannabis. 

[stoner]

1 hour ago, NobbyClarke said:

A lot of stabbing due to people owning money for cannabis.

 

did you watch reefer madness this past week or something ? 

 

1 hour ago, NobbyClarke said:

LOS has survived without it for many years.

 

you know bong translated into thai .....is bong. 

[MalcolmB]

1 hour ago, NobbyClarke said:

A lot of stabbing due to people owning money for cannabis.

I call BS on that one.

Overall stabbing would be way down if everyone was stoned. 
Maybe what you are claiming might have happened once or twice, not a lot.

 

If people don’t like weed nobody is forcing them to smoke it, they should mind their own business.

[nobodysfriend]

3 minutes ago, jonclark said:

the evil of  cannabis

 

What do you mean ...?

[stoner]

3 minutes ago, jonclark said:

terrible or maybe they treat child asmtha with cannabis. 

 

actually....

 

 

they make cannabis inhalers in america. 

[jonclark]

2 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

What do you mean ...?

Just using a well used phrase of the anti cannabis lobby in a satirical manner. 😄

[alexanderkaufman]

2 hours ago, mattyc1957 said:

Without reading the whole article, and I know the devil is in the details, but I didn't think there was a problem with using marijuana for legitimate medical purposes. 

There wasn't on paper, but one thing seems to influence the other. And another Thai "expert" released a study that was mainly negative about marijuana use in general. There obviously needs to be stricter regulations about the number and locations of dispensaries. But this needs to be done with 7 11s and shopping centre too!

[dinsdale]

10 minutes ago, jonclark said:

Lets hope the kids at the child asmtha clinic (sign below cannabis clinic)  dont end up in the cannabis clinic. Exposing sick kids to the evil of  cannabis..terrible or maybe they treat child asmtha with cannabis. 

Sure helps with my asthma.

 

[Kwaibill]

2 hours ago, mattyc1957 said:

Without reading the whole article, and I know the devil is in the details, but I didn't think there was a problem with using marijuana for legitimate medical purposes. 

 

2 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

I call BS on that one.

Overall stabbing would be way down if everyone was stoned. 
Maybe what you are claiming might have happened once or twice, not a lot.

 

If people don’t like weed nobody is forcing them to smoke it, they should mind their own business.

There is a definite presence of “Reefer Madness” respondents both on this forum and in the Thai reportage.

I don’t have much of an input on the matter personally. Smoking anything for any purpose is right out for a multiple stroke/heart attack survivor. If I could buy it with the same ease with which I buy Tramadol OTC at my local pharmacy I would for sure try an ingestable form for neuropathic issues, but so far it is just more complicated than my needs allow.

[Taboo2]

1 hour ago, RSD1 said:

Naah, ya think?
 

Alcohol too more than anything. 

Me thinks that the billionaire dude is just pissed that he did not get in to the business when he was out of the country.  Now, he has lost out on billions of THB and is pushing for recriminalization.