Santé Cannabis Helping Doctors in Thailand

Santé Cannabis research director Dr. Antonio Vigano travelled to Thailand earlier this month to conduct a presentation and training workshop at a university affiliated teaching hospital in the northeastern city of Khon Kaen.

Dr. Vigano was one of the first international experts to be invited to a conference on medical cannabis in Thailand since the country officially legalized the production and use of cannabis for medical purposes in late 2018. Dr. Vigano’s presentations sought to help healthcare professionals at the Karunruk Palliative Care Center at Khon Kaen University integrate cannabis treatments into their supportive and palliative care network.

Although medical cannabis has been legalized for over a year, limited formal education and training on its therapeutic properties continue to restrict patient access. The Santé Cannabis model of care presented by Dr. Vigano was a useful reference for conference attendees, many of whom are working to establish an institute specializing in medical cannabis within Khon Kaen University’s medical school.

For the moment, medical cannabis patients in Thailand can only access cannabis oil extracts for ingestion. The country’s production of cannabis oil extracts still falls short of demand and there remains a lack of product variety, particularly CBD-rich products.