BANGKOK, Nov 23 (TNA) — Health authorities have found that some 100 kilograms of seized cannabis supplied by the police could not be used for medical purposes because they were contaminated.
Dr Opas Gakwinpong, director-general of the Medical Sciences Department, said the department earlier sought the cannabis from the police’s Narcotic Suppression Bureau for medical use but tests found it was contaminated with 60 kinds of chemicals and pesticides plus heavy metal including lead, mercury and cadmium as well as arsenic.
He said hemp naturally attracted pests, so growers used chemicals to protect it. Besides, hemp naturally absorbed heavy metal, he said.
Nantakan Suwanpidokkul, research director of the Government Pharmaceutical Organization, said the organization would instead grow hemp in its plot covering 100-200 square meters in Pathum Thani province so that it would not have to postpone its plan to treat patients with cannabis oil from next May as earlier scheduled. (TNA)
