Push For 10 More Thai Herbs To Be Added To National Drug List

[Preman]

Khun Per,

With all respect, people respond to what is being written. If the article read, "10 herbs now being accepted for their exceptional medicinal value, I am sure that ALL the farangs on this site would applaud that. But, that is not how it was perceived, - because a drug category in other countries - means "BANNED".

So, who ever wrote that article is the one who needs education.

[Carib]

Khun Per,

With all respect, people respond to what is being written. If the article read, "10 herbs now being accepted for their exceptional medicinal value, I am sure that ALL the farangs on this site would applaud that. But, that is not how it was perceived, - because a drug category in other countries - means "BANNED".

So, who ever wrote that article is the one who needs education.

Folks here need to learn to read the whole article and not just focus on one word and have the always present Thai bashing on their minds at the same time.

[Lucie]

Total Insanity! I have been in the Herb, Spice & Nutraceautical business for over 20 years. Have a degree in Molecular Chemistry and specialize in botanicals. Ran a factory in the USA for 15 years and am very familiar with "Good Manufacturing Practices" and had regular dealings and inspections with the USA FDA - who are known to be quite tough with what they allow on the market. But, even my contacts at the FDA would laugh at this list.

As someone said previously, - this is a list compiled by people who are on the "take", to make $$$ for other people.

Most of these herbs are benign - with one or two exceptions. Turmeric ? One of the most promising natural herbs to combat cancer cells. It has been proven in numerous major studies by respected Universities, - that curcumin (the main active compound in turmeric), kills cancer cells.

Need I say any more?

Insanity at it's best !

For such an educated & successful person (you claim), it appears you're a bit short in the common-sense department. These ten substances are NOT BANNED. They are being considered for APPROVAL!

Jeez... are paz and gwynt the only posters in this thread who have any reading comprehension?

No, me too... though with all those others going on about it, I had to go back and check that it wasn't ME getting the wrong end of the stick!

[Preman]

Total Insanity! I have been in the Herb, Spice & Nutraceautical business for over 20 years. Have a degree in Molecular Chemistry and specialize in botanicals. Ran a factory in the USA for 15 years and am very familiar with "Good Manufacturing Practices" and had regular dealings and inspections with the USA FDA - who are known to be quite tough with what they allow on the market. But, even my contacts at the FDA would laugh at this list.

As someone said previously, - this is a list compiled by people who are on the "take", to make $$$ for other people.

Most of these herbs are benign - with one or two exceptions. Turmeric ? One of the most promising natural herbs to combat cancer cells. It has been proven in numerous major studies by respected Universities, - that curcumin (the main active compound in turmeric), kills cancer cells.

Need I say any more?

Insanity at it's best !

For such an educated & successful person (you claim), it appears you're a bit short in the common-sense department. These ten substances are NOT BANNED. They are being considered for APPROVAL!

Jeez... are paz and gwynt the only posters in this thread who have any reading comprehension?

No, me too... though with all those others going on about it, I had to go back and check that it wasn't ME getting the wrong end of the stick!

Read on buddy! I have already accepted what you say. It is not a matter of focusing on Thai bashing. I do not do do that.

It means that drugs ...... means drugs. A Drug List is a drug list. What that means in other countries ... is 'Banned" .

Not many may know that is different in Thailand. Nor did I.

Today, - I have learned something. This whole thread .... is based on semantic confusion.

[Thai at Heart]

Points taken. My mistake.

In the USA and Australia and other markets, when a herb is being considered to be on a drug list, they are not allowed to be on the GRASS list (generally recognized as safe), - and cannot be used as a freely available product or ingredient. So, I accept that I jumped the gun - if this is not the case.

Same thinking here.

It is my understanding that if a substance is placed on a Drugs List, the sale or use of it becomes restricted..... i.e. Turmeric is available if you have a prescription for it.

Exactly. So how exactly do you put chili into an approved form that can provably provide medical help, and prevent anyone from making their own homegrown medicine.

Who ever came up with this must have a NUlife franchise

[quandow]

I would bet my bottom dollar Monsanto aka Monsatan has their corrupt, greedy, foul and grasping claws right in the middle of all this.

[HerbalEd]

<deleted> turmeric ? chilly leaves ?

formulating a good-manufacturing-practice standard for herbal medicines.

this means they have to find a way to patent these

while they are at it why not put green papaya and mango on the list as well

or cinnamon whish is great against yr sore throat when having a cold

GMP's have nothing to do with the patenting of herbs/drugs. Also, there have already been 71 herbs that have been given official drug status in Thailand and none of them have been patented.

[HerbalEd]

Just checked the first one and see it's sold as a natural breast enlarger. (like what Uncle Rico was selling!)

Maybe they're letting snake oil salesmen dictate their national drugs policy.

You need to read further before drawing conclusions. Pueraria root is richest source so-far found of phytoestrogens (aka plant estrogens) and has a long tradition as a remedy for relieving the negative symptoms of menopause ... and there's some good modern science to back that up.

[HerbalEd]

Points taken. My mistake.

In the USA and Australia and other markets, when a herb is being considered to be on a drug list, they are not allowed to be on the GRASS list (generally recognized as safe), - and cannot be used as a freely available product or ingredient. So, I accept that I jumped the gun - if this is not the case.

Same thinking here.

It is my understanding that if a substance is placed on a Drugs List, the sale or use of it becomes restricted..... i.e. Turmeric is available if you have a prescription for it.

Aspirin is a drug and you don't need a prescription to buy it. Ditto for many, many other "over the counter drugs."

[HerbalEd]

The more herbs we can ban the better for the pharmaceutical industry. The more we ban the more opertuinity we give to the black market.The medicinal properties in Thai herbs far outweigh the narcotics properties..

I think there is a misunderstanding here, stemming from the potentially ambiguous English word "drug". In the article it is being used in the sense of "medicine", that is these herbs are proposed be officially recognized to have some curative property. That doesn't mean they will be banned, or required a prescription to be bought, or that they will be patented.

Illegal drugs have nothing to do with all that.

I think that the above post by Paz, is probably the most relevant in this whole dialogue so far. The problem is when a headline says that they are being considered as a drug category, - we all use the western standards of what that means.

I certainly did that, - because as I said in a previous post, a "drug" category" means it is taken off the availability list.

Hence all the confusion (including me).

If in Thailand it just means that it will be accepted as an alternative medicine, - then it is a victory, - a plus, not a minus.

Therefore, I eat humble pie and leave it as is. It is a good thing.

Actually the word "drug" comes from a Dutch word that means "dried" ... as in dried herb or animal matter.

Also, I know no place where the word "drug" exclusively means a perscription drug nor an illicit drug. Haven't you ever heard of an "OTC drug" ... i.e., over the counter drug ... i.e., a drug (medicine) you can buy without a prescription?

[HerbalEd]

Khun Per,

With all respect, people respond to what is being written. If the article read, "10 herbs now being accepted for their exceptional medicinal value, I am sure that ALL the farangs on this site would applaud that. But, that is not how it was perceived, - because a drug category in other countries - means "BANNED".

So, who ever wrote that article is the one who needs education.

My profession for the past 35 years has been the international trade of medicinal herbs and the manufacture and sale of herbal medicines in 50-plus countries. This work has involved the interface with various FDA-authorities in many different countries throughout the world, and with various academics and scientists in the field of botany, ethnobotany, phytopharmacy, medical anthropology, drug regulators, medical docs and institutions, etc., etc.

During this time I have never been anywhere where "a drug category in other countries - means "BANNED". I understand that some of you have a more narrow definition of the word "drug" ... and so be it .... but don't blame the author of this article for using the word correctly.

Edited March 13, 2013 by HerbalEd

[Preman]

Ed,

We know each other. Yes, you know the business probably more than anyone.

You are right about OTC's and everything else you have written. Have sent you an email buddy!

Did not realize you were still in Thailand.

[khunPer]

Just for information – Wikipedia writes:

»A drug is a substance which may have medicinal, intoxicating, performance enhancing or other effects when taken or put into a human body or the body of another animal and is not considered a food or exclusively a food.«
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug

So what does one buy in a "DrugStore"?

»A pharmacy (commonly the chemist in Australia, New Zealand and the UK; or drugstorein North America; retail pharmacy in industry terminology; or Apothecary, historically) is the place where most pharmacists practice the profession of pharmacy. It is the community pharmacy where the dichotomy of the profession exists—health professionals who are also retailers.«

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drugstore_(pharmacy)#Community_pharmacy

[Preman]

Hey Ed,

I certainly respect you and your work, - but you have to admit that there is in fact a counter argument. It is not always the case that when a herb is deemed a "drug" that it is still available as an OTC (over the counter drug) as you said, and you used aspirin as an example. You want a few examples in the USA alone? In fact you know them yourself.

1. You are an advocate of Kava. There is one. You know that I used to do CO2 extraction of Kava with Fred. Had to stop.

2. Apricot Kernel's and extracts thereof (Leotrole) - or commonly known as the strongest source of vitamin B17. FDA regularly checked that I was not extracting that.

(See link) http://www.cancure.org/laetrile.htm

The list goes on and on.

So, in general, - I think that the spirit of what you say is true, - but there are still many exceptions - even in the USA.

There are many counter examples - to the OTC thing.

My point of concern, - was - this is thailand. Hard to know what the intention was when I first read the article.

[kbvicar]

Preman--the new Heisenberg of Thailand. Guaranteed 98% puro. Crystal blue persuasion