BANGKOK, March 2 (TNA) -- The first batch of doctors and pharmacists to undertake a training on medical marijuana will be held between March 19-20, said Dr Somsak Akkasilp, Director-General of Public Health Ministry’s Medical Services Department.

The training comes after the department is assigned the task of preparing a training curriculum for doctors and medical professionals who wish to obtain a licence in order to legally prescribe medicinal marijuana as a treatment.

Thailand has become the first Southeast Asian country to legalise medical marijuana after the government legalised the plant, once considered as a kind of narcotics.

Dr Somsak said seven more groups of doctors and pharmacists will undertake a similar training after that.

According to him, trainers are experts on nerves system, cancer and the ministry-run Thanyarak Institute.

Training is necessary because carelessness could lead to addiction and those who have undertaken and passed the training programme will receive a certificate, issued by Medical Services Department, Dr Somsak said, adding that this is done for safety of the patients.

Source: TNA