Bangkok: Thailand’s health ministry received its first batch of legal medical marijuana on Wednesday to be distributed in state-run hospitals.
Public health minister Anutin Chanvirakul presided over the ceremonial handing over of 4,500 5-millilitre bottles of extracted cannabis oil from the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation to the Public Health Ministry.
“The freedom for medical usage starts from this point onwards,” Anutin told reporters at a news conference.
Anutin was elected to the House in March while leading a political party that ran on the flagship policy of legalising medical marijuana.
The bottles of extracted cannabis oil will be distributed to 12 hospitals and administered to qualified patients including those who are part of a research programme and those undergoing chemo-therapy.
