World’s First ‘Cannabis Clinic’ Opens in Thailand

A Cannabis clinic, which specialises in the traditional and alternative cannabis-based medicine has been opened for the first time in Thailand as part of the government initiative to develop a medicinal cannabis industry.

On the opening ceremony of the clinic, Public Health Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirankul said, “This is a pilot clinic, because we cannot produce enough doctors with expertise in cannabis”. He also added that patients will also receive treatment free of charge for the first two weeks.

Thailand has a tradition of using cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue and therefore have legalised marijuana for medical use and research purpose in the year 2017 in order to boost agricultural income.

In the process, they have started around 25 cannabis clinics, though these clinics are attached to general hospitals across the country. Unlike the newly launched pilot clinic, these clinics operate for just a few days a week due to a lack of expert staff.

At present Thailand’s Health Ministry’s Government Pharmaceutical Organisation is the largest producer of medicinal cannabis. Director of Medical Cannabis Research at Kasetsart University, Natakorn Thasnas, said that the university would supply 2,200 kilograms of cannabis leaf to the ministry.

In order to protect the domestic industry for the next four years, Cannabis production, which includes cultivation and sale, has been, limited to its license only to Thai producers. At present only government hospitals and research facilities are allowed to produce cannabis and extract licenses. The government is also reviewing regulations to enable Thai businesses to apply for cultivation permits.

Thailand dropped cannabis and hemp extracts from its narcotics list last year and proposed to a draft law that would allow each household to grow at least six cannabis plants.

The hospitals prescribe four types of drugs, which contain different combinations of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The psychoactive ingredient that is present in cannabis, was given to the patients with a complaint of migraine, neck pain, insomnia and muscle stiffness. The newly opened pilot clinic, by the Ministry of Public Health, expects to see between 200 to 300 patients every day. 

69-year-old Waraporn Boonsri who takes four vials of cannabis oil to get her sleep says, “I was worried at first, but I studied the effects and decided it was better because it’s natural.”

According to a health ministry official around 2,200 patients have registered at the clinic till March this year. Meanwhile, Public Health Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirankul says that there are plans for opening 77 clinics across the country, with one in every province.