Suranaree University of Technology in Nakhon Ratchasima on Friday harvested its first crop of cannabis for medical use. The plants will be given to a hospital in Buri Ram to produce Thai herbal medicine on a commercial scale.
The university built international-standard greenhouses, equipped with special cooling systems, to plant cannabis for medical purposes earlier this year and saplings were planted inside.
The plants were harvested for the production of the raw materials needed for cannabis-based products which will be sent to Khu Muang Hospital in Buri Ram for commercial production of nine herbal Thai medicines totalling 3,360 tonnes per production cycle.
Assoc Prof Weerapong Pairsuwan, rector of the university, said it had created a network to develop and increase the value of hemp, cannabis and herbs. The college he said, was committed to helping people access safe hemp and cannabis products while promoting the establishment of medical excellence centres.
Suranaree University of Technology aims to be a social enterprise and a self-reliant university serving the community.
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The dean of the Institute of Agricultural Technology, Prof Neung Teaumroong, said the university had initiated a research project on the production of quality cannabis for medical benefits. The greenhouses were built on an area of 3,090 square metres to plant 5,760 cannabis plants.
The first cannabis plants were duly harvested yesterday and their flowers will be collected next month.
While the trees are still in the process of producing seeds, the university will routinely contact the Regional Medical Sciences Centre 9 Nakhon Ratchasima to analyse the plants.
Source :Bangkok Post
