The restaurant at the Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri started serving its own happy meals this month, after Thailand de-listed cannabis as a narcotic, allowing state-authorised firms to cultivate the plant.*

“Cannabis leaves, when put in the food or even a small amount … it will help the patient to recover faster from the illness,” said Pakakrong Kwankao, the project leader at the hospital.*

“The cannabis leaf can improve appetite and make people sleep well, and also be in a mood, in a good mood.”*

The hospital is known as a pioneer in Thailand for studying marijuana and its ability to relieve pain and fatigue.*

Thailand in 2017 became the first Southeast Asian country to legalise cannabis for medical use and has since opened numerous medical marijuana clinics.*

The restaurant’s offerings include a happy pork soup, deep-fried bread topped with pork and a marijuana leaf, and a salad of crispy cannabis leaves served with ground pork and chopped vegetables.*

“I’ve never taken cannabis before, it feels weird but it’s delicious,” said diner Ketsirin Boonsiri, adding it was “quite strange”.*

Nattanon Naranan said the taste of the cannabis leaves was similar to everyday vegetables, but the after-effects were quite different.*

“It makes my throat dry and I crave sweets,” she said.*

Thai deputy education minister Kanokwan Vilawan said the next step was to offer famous Thai dishes to reach an international audience.*

“We plan to add more (cannabis) to Thai dishes that are already well known, such as green curry soup, to boost the popularity of these dishes even more,” Kanokwan said.*

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Kidman will help the unit, Sera Labs, boost its multi-channel distribution efforts and sales of an anti-aging skincare line and for its pain relief body creams and serums.*

The actress will also be “key in development” of three products the company will launch next year, Cure Pharmaceutical Holding Corp [CURR.PK] said.*

A non-psychoactive compound derived mainly from the hemp plant, cannabidiol, or CBD, is being researched for various medical applications and has found increased use in relaxatives and beauty products.*

Demand for CBD and other cannabis products has skyrocketed this year as the coronavirus pandemic kept people at home, limiting entertainment options and adding to stress.*

However, traditional advertising and marketing avenues remain off-limits due to tight restrictions on cannabis, and companies have partnered with celebrities to build their brands.*

Cronos Group Inc tapped actress and New York Times best-selling author Kristen Bell to launch ‘Happy Dance’, a CBD skincare brand in October.*

Celebrities have also jumped on the bandwagon. Rapper Jay-Z, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart and singer Willie Nelson are among celebrities who have partnered with or launched their own CBD product lines.*

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It was the first time either chamber of Congress has voted to end the federal ban on marijuana since the drug was listed as a “controlled substance” in 1970.*

Fifteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational use of marijuana, and over 30 states allow some form of the drug for medicinal purposes. U.S. cannabis sales hit record levels over the Thanksgiving weekend.

But the federal ban on the drug persists, which creates conflicts with state laws and limits cannabis companies’ access to banking services and funding.*

The Democratic-majority House voted 228-164, largely along party lines, to lift the federal prohibition. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, is an opponent of the change, meaning a decriminalization proposal is unlikely to see Senate action unless Democrats manage to win both Georgia Senate seats and with them Senate control in a Jan. 5 runoff election.*

The bill the House passed would allow states to regulate marijuana, Representative Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat and co-chairman of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said in debate.*

“This legislation does not legalize cannabis across the country. It stops the federal government from interfering with what states have decided to do,” he said.*

Republican Representative Debbie Lesko said she found it incredible that Democrats were talking about “legalizing marijuana” instead of focusing on passing more relief from the coronavirus pandemic. “Sometimes I think that the world is turned upside down,” she said.*

In fact, the House in May passed a mammoth coronavirus aid bill, but it did not advance in the Republican-run Senate. Negotiations are underway on a smaller compromise bill.*

The cannabis bill would expunge federal marijuana convictions and impose a 5% tax on cannabis products. The revenue raised would help reinvest in communities most adversely impacted by enforcement of the law, Blumenauer said.*

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The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) received yesterday a letter from the Health services of the European Commission stating that CBD can be qualified as food, report EIHA.*

Moments before, the UN recognised the medical value of cannabis and accepted WHO recommendation to rescheduled it.*

In light of the recent Court judgement C-663/18, the Commission has reviewed its preliminary conclusion on cannabidiol, stating that it should not be considered as a drug within the meaning of the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961. This breakthrough comes at the same time as the United Nations’ Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) votes to accept the World Health Organisation’s recommendation to removecannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention,which was reserved for substances with “particularly dangerous properties” and little or no therapeutic value.*

“A truly historic moment for mankind: The United Nations, based on WHO recommendations, recognises the medical value of cannabis and removes it from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention. Finally, the medicinal usefulness of cannabis is officially acknowledged” Says Mr Daniel Kruse, EIHA President.*

“After this historic vote, it is worth highlighting that industrial hemp and non-medical CBD still remain out of the scope of the Single Convention. That is why, the second decision of this week is even more important for our industry: in light of the comments received inter alia from EIHA and of the recent European Court of Justice ruling, the European commission concludes that CBD should not be considered as drug and can be qualified as food. As the President of EIHA and as a pioneer of the hemp industry for 26 years, I truly thank the UN and our EU commission for these absolutely great Christmas presents!“*

In practical terms, the recent statement by the Commission means that the verification of the validity of EIHA’s Novel Food application has been resumed.*

“As predicted, the ECJ ruling has had a positive effect on the Commission’s position. Now that CBD can be qualified as food, the EIHA Novel Food joint application is perfectly set up for achieving safety assessment and standards for our growing industry.” Says Ms Lorenza Romanese, EIHA Managing Director. “We also welcome the vote of the United Nations, which leads to a modern and sound scientific approach regarding cannabis in general.“*

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In reviewing a series of World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on marijuana and its derivatives, the CND zeroed-in on the decision to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs — where it was listed alongside deadly, addictive opioids, including heroin. 

The CND’s 53 Member States voted to removed cannabis – where it had been placed for 59 years – from the strictest control schedules, that even discouraged its use for medical purposes.*

With an historic vote of 27 in favour, 25 against, and one abstention, the CND has opened the door to recognizing the medicinal and therapeutic potential of the commonly-used but still largely illegal recreational drug.  

Moreover, according to news reports, the decision could also drive additional scientific research into the plant’s long-heralded medicinal properties and act as catalyst for countries to legalize the drug for medicinal use, and reconsider laws on its recreational use. 

Long wait 

Back in January 2019, WHO unveiled six WHO recommendations surrounding the scheduling of cannabis in UN drug control treaties. 

While the proposals were originally set to be voted on during the  CND’s March 2019 session, many countries had requested more time to study the endorsements and define their positions, according to news reports.  

Among WHO’s many points, it clarified that cannabidiol (CBD) – a non-intoxicating compound – is not subject to international controls. CBD has taken on a prominent role in wellness therapies in recent years, and sparked a billion-dollar industry. 

Currently, more than 50 countries have adopted medicinal cannabis programmes while Canada, Uruguay and 15 US states have legalized its recreational use, with Mexico and Luxembourg close to becoming the third and fourth countries to do so.   

Where they stand  

After voting, some countries made statements on their stances. 

Ecuador supported all of WHO’s recommendations and urged that cannabis production, sale and use, have “a regulatory framework that guarantees good practices, quality, innovation and research development”. 

Meanwhile, the United States voted to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the Single Convention while retaining them in Schedule I, saying it is “consistent with the science demonstrating that while a safe and effective cannabis-derived therapeutic has been developed, cannabis itself continues to pose significant risks to public health and should continue to be controlled under the international drug control conventions”. 

Voting against, Chile argued, among other things, that “there is a direct relationship between the use of cannabis and increased chances of suffering from depression, cognitive deficit, anxiety, psychotic symptoms, among others” while Japan stated that the non-medical use of the plant “might give rise to negative health and social impacts, especially among youth”.

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