In principle, the cabinet on Tuesday accepted a request from the Ministry of Public Health to change the Narcotics Act and allow patients, medicinal professionals, and traditional healers to grow commercial cannabis for therapeutic and commercial usage.
Deputy government spokeswoman Traisulee Traisoranakul said the cabinet accepted the suggestion brought last year by the Minister of Public Safety, Anutin Charnvirakul, to change the drug laws.
If approved, the proposed amendment would enable patients with a medical license, medicinal professionals, and conventional healers or folk healers to grow medical cannabis.
The new amendment also allows pharmaceutical drug producers to grow, import, and sell or possess cannabis.
Existing legislation permitted only state agencies or those requesting approval who must collaborate with state agencies to grow, import, or export cannabis. In contrast, medical practitioners and folk healers were not authorized to develop cannabis for medical care, Ms. Traisulee said.
The draft bill will now be sent for review to the Office of the Council of Security before being referred for evaluation to a coordinating House panel. It will then be applied to the lower House by the vote.
The Government hopes the law would enable medical cannabis drug producers to compete in foreign markets.
source: Bangkok Post
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