Ministry allows use of remaining Category 5 drugs for medical purposes, research
The Public Health Ministry has allowed the use of opium and magic mushrooms for medical treatment and research.
Permission for the use of the two Category 5 drugs was announced in a directive of the ministry that was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday.
The directive, which was signed by Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew, took effect on Wednesday.
The directive referred to opium and psilocybin mushrooms, better known as magic mushrooms for their hallucinogenic effects when eaten, as narcotics on the Category 5 list, which are not extracts of marijuana and hemp.
Earlier, the ministry removed kratom, marijuana and hemp from the Category 5 list, leaving only opium, magic mushrooms and extracts from marijuana and hemp with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) level higher than 0.2% as drugs on the list.
The directive said the Public Health Ministry determined that the drugs on Narcotics Category 5 list apart from marijuana and hemp extracts should be allowed for consumption for medical purposes and for medical research.
As a result, the public health minister invoked Article 24 and Article 58 of the Narcotics Code to allow the use of magic mushrooms and opium for medical treatment and research.
