Traditional knowledge an advantage in cannabis commercialisation

Traditional knowledge an advantage in cannabis commercialisation

Knowledge of traditional medicine places Thailand at an advantage in commercialising cannabis and hemp, says the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM).

The message was conveyed at an online academic discussion on the subject of using and promoting cannabis for economic gains in Thailand and abroad on Nov 28.

It was part of a series of weekly online forums organised by the DTAM every Monday and Tuesday since last month.

The agency aims at imparting various knowledge about cannabis to the general public, as well as people with illnesses and business operators, said Dr Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, the DTAM director-general.

Participants of the Nov 28 forum referred to data obtained from the Medical Cannabis World Forum 2022 in early April in Malta. It shows the market value of cannabis in Europe had reached US$12 billion (396 billion baht), and about $10 billion in the US.

About 10% of countries worldwide have enacted laws related to cannabis, according to Dr Thongchai.

The status of cannabis also varies from country to country. There are those where the plant is outlawed; those, including Thailand, which allow controlled use of cannabis; and countries where recreational use of the plant is legal.

In some countries, cannabis-derived medicines are available only on prescription, restricting people's access.

Dr Thongchai said manufacturing cannabis into medicine or products requires disseminating the right information to people who are long used to the plant being regarded under the law as a narcotic.

He said the law should be revised to allow for exports of the plant and to keep it out of the hands of the wrong people.

Research has pointed to the possibility of medicinal cannabis being developed and marketed on a large scale with products hitting the counter in the form of nasal sprays, throat lozenges or even sleeping pills.

The DTAM chief said cannabis has been administered as a painkiller to patients in Europe and the US.

Although big investments may need to wait for the market for cannabis products to grow more, many countries in Asia are keen to promote cannabis and hemp businesses.

Dr Thongchai said Thailand has the edge, given the country's long-accumulated knowledge about traditional medicine with cannabis as an ingredient.

The country has proposed laws specific to the use of cannabis, which creates opportunities from commercialising the plant, promoting it as having medical and health benefits and drawing overseas visitors.

According to the Asian Cannabis Report, cannabis can also be used in products such as cosmetics and immunity-boosting food supplements.

Consumers would be interested in buying the products if they were certified to meet quality standards and backed by credible research. "But we have to understand the recreational use of cannabis remains illegal in Thailand," he said.

Meanwhile, the DTAM on Friday issued a notice to Shopee, ordering the company to remove the sale of flowers or buds of the cannabis plant from its online platform.

The sale, the department said, defies the Public Health Ministry announcement that categorises flowers or buds of cannabis as "controlled herbs".

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