Health Minister pushes the availability of cannabinoid oils to Thai hospitals

The new Thai Public Health Minister, and deputy PM, Anutin Charnvirakul will allow hospitals to prescribe marijuana to some patients in a move to make the alternative medicine more publicly available.

“This week I will sign an order to allow ministry-run hospitals to prescribe the cannabis oil extracts,” he told the Bangkok Post.

The minister says he vows to push ahead with his policies to make cannabis products more available to the Thai public when he lined up with fellow ministers to share their visions during the “Roadmap to Success-Up Close with Thailand’s New Ministers” event.

Mr Anutin says he believes it is now clear that cannabis has medical potential, referring to a body of some research into medicinal use cases for the plant for some patients.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the active compounds that appear to offer therapeutic avenues, according to some studies, although the studies remain controversial and most medical officials agree more long-term studies are required.

THC is a muscle relaxant with anti-emetic properties, although in higher doses it can cause drowsiness and intoxication. CBD has less psychoactive properties and can be used to treat epilepsy, among other conditions.

The green light for medical use of cannabis as a treatment drug in Thai hospitals came after the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation handed 6,500 bottles of cannabinoid oil extract to the ministry yesterday.

Department chief Somsak Akkslip says patients in the final stage of cancer are expected to be among the first to receive the CBD-THC formula later this month as part of ongoing research being conducted by the National Cancer Institute.

Minister Anutin says ministry-owned hospitals will also introduce online appointments and a new system to allow patients to collect their prescriptions at pharmacies near their homes.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

“Roadmap to Success-Up Close with Thailand’s New Ministers”, a meeting with Thailand’s new ministers sponsored by the Bangkok Post