The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) — which is overseeing Thailand’s legalization of medical marijuana — has announced their plans to start planting this February in order to extract cannabis oil to be used by May or June.
Who else is super excited?
At a press conference in their offices yesterday morning, GPO Director Dr. Witoon Danwiboon said that — with their roughly THB10million (about US$315,000) budget — they are in the process of preparing a 100-square-meter section of the Rangsit Pharmaceutical Production Plant in Pathumthani province’s Thanayaburi district to be used to grow the plants.
The GPO hopes to obtain permission from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in time to start growing by mid-Feb, reported Workpoint.
They plan to start testing canna-oil extracts on patients with certain diseases by May or June.
As for the actual production of the extract, the GPO plans to use a 1,000 square meter area on the rooftop of their pharmaceutical chemicals department, also located in Thanyaburi district.
The budget to grow, select and improve strains is set at about THB120million (almost US$4 million).
The GPO hopes to start industrial production by next year and believes they can produce about 10,000 to 20,000 bottles filled with 5 milliliters of canna-oil and 800 kilograms of flowers per year.
Canadian and native Thai strains will be the first to be grown, reported Daily News.
Additionally, the GPO plans to expand industrial production to Nong Yai district in Chonburi province.
On Christmas at the end of last year, Thailand became the very first Southeast Asian nation to legalize medical marijuana. The government had said they wanted the legalization to be a New Year gift to Thai citizens.
Now that the marijuana revolution has officially arrived, it seems to be here to say.
To find out more about the kingdom’s medical marijuana awakening, check out Coconuts TV’s documentary mini-series available on Netflix now.
