Last updated on September 26th, 2023 at 08:33 am
Dr Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, the public health minister, says that the first 10,000 bottles of marijuana extract oils will be produced jointly by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) and Chao Phraya Abhaiphubejhr Hospital, and that those first batches will be ready to be prescribed and administered to patients by the end of the month.
While only authorized practitioners that have been thoroughly trained by the Ministry of Public Health are permitted to prescribe marijuana to patients, that number is already nearly 400 medical doctors and 2,900 Thai traditional medicine practitioners so, at least initially, there should be no shortage of authorized administers of marijuana for medical purposes.
The type of marijuana being developed by the GPO is an oil that can be administered under the tongue. This is in keeping with the cautious approach the Thai government is taking with medical marijuana. This is different than in places like the US where legalized medical marijuana immediately opened the door for smoking and vaping of the plant.
Dr. Piyasakol said that medical marijuana would be handled in phases. The first phase, which runs from Jul – Sep, would limit distribution to qualified patients at very specific locations which have been authorized by the Ministry of Public Health.
Beginning in April of 2020, patients will be able to find marijuana-based medicines at nearly all Thai hospitals.
