The Public Health and Education ministries have agreed to work together in developing a course of study promoting the medicinal use of cannabis, to be offered by the Office of the Non-Formal and Informal Education.

Health permanent secretary Dr Sukhum Kanchanapimai and Rakana Tantawutho, deputy permanent secretary at the Education Ministry, signed a memorandum of understanding to that effect on Tuesday (January 28).

The government wants to promote technology that can be applied in medicine, including in the medical use of cannabis and other materials, as a source of extra income for citizens.

The course proposed by the Education permanent secretary’s office is called “ทช 33098 กัญชาและกัญชงศึกษา เพื่อใช้เป็นยาอย่างชาญฉลาด”, which means “Studies of cannabis and hemp for well-informed medicinal uses”.

The aim is to ensure that NFE students and the public in general have access to comprehensive and accurate knowledge about existing and potential medicinal uses of cannabis.

The Health Ministry has developed innovations for making use of it, and marijuana is being legally cultivated under strict controls to become a component in both conventional and traditional medicines.

The ministry has amassed the information and expertise that academic researchers need to develop learning courses like this one and other projects, Sukhum said.

The two ministries will together promote the course, which will cover chemical characteristics of the plant, benefits and risks to health, legal aspects, and possible uses in both mainstream and alternative medicine.