Governor Akeredolu in Thailand for Medicinal Canabis Extract Development Program

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Ondo State governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has joined the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah rtd on a visit to Thailand for a Program on Medicinal Canabis Extract Development.

The program which is centred around exploiting the possibility of medicinal cannabis extract development, is aimed at building capacity and researching the modality of licensing for planting and extracting cannabis oil in Nigeria as well as exploiting its commercial potential with focus on Ondo State.

The program kicked off today with briefings at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Bangkok. Thailand is known as the world model for alternative measures.

The Ondo State government and the NDLEA are using the visit to access Thailand materials and best practises with the possibility of replicating them in Nigeria.

At the briefing, the Secretary-General of Thai Food and Drug Administration Dr. Tares Krassanairawiwong stated that the meeting will be of an advantage to the Nigerian Government.

Governor Akeredolu appreciated the Thai Government and said Ondo State is known as the largest in the planting of cannabis.

He said “we are here to study how cannabis can be of more advantage to the state and Nigeria at large just the way Thai Government has done. Cannabis is used for medical purposes; how can it be cultivated for specific purposes and not be abused?”

Col. Abdullah said the current trend in the world is to look into the advantage of cannabis in the making of food and drugs.

They also visited the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok where the Management made presentations on how to control cannabis, licensing, pharmaceutical benefits of cannabis etc

They also toured the University’s Cannabis research laboratory where Governor Akeredolu proposed that they also work along with Nigerian species during their research as Ondo State is ready for partnership with the Naresuan University Team.