Thai Government to Register Cannabis as a Natural Heritage

Thailand’s health minister announced Monday that four cannabis strains will be registered as national cultural heritage in Thailand to encourage research into their use in medical marijuana.

Anutin Charnvirakul said the Department of Medical Sciences’ Medicinal Plants Research Institute had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grow cannabis strains for medical marijuana after many parts of the cannabis plant were decriminalized last year.

The cannabis strains to be registered as the National Heritage for Medical Marijuana are: ST1, TT1, UUA1, and RD1.

A spokesman for Mr Anutin told CTN News that registrations of cannabis strains are currently pending certification by the Department of Agriculture and said the process is expected to be completed by August this year.

Each strain contains different proportions of the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiols (CBD), which are known to have medicinal benefits.

Research into the benefits and uses of the strains for medical marijuana is being carried out by the department in collaboration with the Isan Sakonnakhon Campus of Rajamangala University of Technology and Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Campus of Kasetsart University, the deputy prime minister said.

“It will bring economic benefits to the country and increase farmers’ potential to compete in the world market, which will help reduce the trade deficit with other countries,” he said.

In addition to registering the National Heritage, Mr. Anutin said the Department of Medical Sciences discovered that the cannabis roots can help restore the function of the lungs damaged by Covid-19 infection.

The Minister of Health said he fully supported the research on the matter and said it would be of great benefit to Thai health professionals to be able to offer cannabis-based treatment to patients diagnosed with Covid-19.