"This is a pilot clinic, because we cannot produce enough doctors
with expertise in cannabis," Public Health Minister, Anutin
Charnvirakul, told reporters at the opening ceremony in Bangkok.
Patients will receive treatment free of charge for the first two
weeks, he added.
Thailand, which has a tradition of using cannabis to relieve pain
and fatigue, legalized marijuana for medical use and research in
2017 to boost agricultural income.
There are already around 25 cannabis clinics attached to general
hospitals around the country but, unlike the newly-launched pilot
clinic, they operate for just a few days a week due to a lack of
specialized staff.
The largest producer of medicinal cannabis is currently the health
ministry's Government Pharmaceutical Organization. Kasetsart
University's director of medical cannabis research, Natakorn Thasnas,
told Reuters that the university would supply 2,200 kilograms of
cannabis leaf to the ministry.
Cannabis production, cultivation and sale has been limited to
licensed Thai producers for the next four years to protect the
domestic industry. Currently, only hospitals and research facilities
are allowed to apply for cannabis production and extraction
licenses, but the government is reviewing regulations to enable Thai
businesses to apply for permits.
Last year, Thailand dropped cannabis and hemp extracts from its
narcotics list and proposed a draft law that would allow each
household to grow six cannabis plants.
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Four types of drugs, containing different combinations of
cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psycho-active
ingredient in cannabis, were given to patients to treat migraine,
insomnia, neck pain and muscle stiffness, the ministry said in a
statement.
The pilot clinic, based in the Ministry of Public Health, expects to
see between 200 to 300 patients daily.
"I was worried at first, but I studied the effects and decided it
was better because its natural," said Waraporn Boonsri, 69, who
received four vials of cannabis oil to help her sleep.
Nearly 2,200 patients have registered at the clinic until March, a
health official told Reuters. Anutin said there were plans for 77
clinics to be opened across the country, with one in every province.
(This story fixes minister's name to "Charnvirakul" in second
paragraph)
(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Prapan
Chankaew; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
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