How Thailand Regulates Herb Use in Food to Boost Its Economy

The Thai government removed some parts of the plant from its control list, and the released parts included the leaves, fibers, roots and stems.

Thailand has loosened its regulations on the plant, which people can use for medical treatment. Certain parts of the plant can even be mixed into food, beverages or cosmetics, attracting curious people to try it. Thailand hopes to build an industry chain around the plant and, at the same time, promote tourism and the development of the country's economy.

A beverage bar in Bangkok is the first store in Thailand that mixes a botanical compound into flavored drinks. The bar's first shop is tucked away in the alleys of Bangkok. Even so, customers who like to try new things keep coming. We went to interview early in the morning. During opening hours, customers are constantly coming in and out, and delivery staff are waiting to pick up drinks.

One of the partners, Yada Gomez, said in an interview that they had applied very early for a store where the plant was mixed into beverages. The procedures were quite complicated, but she and her partners saw the business opportunity and believed it would pay off. The output value is high, and the market will grow gradually.

The bar's drink list has a variety of herb-based flavored drinks. Yada said their drinks contain a botanical compound, and the purpose is not to create an intense effect but to help people relax. After the store opened, customers said the experience was beyond their imagination. Because business was so good, the management team quickly opened several branches in Bangkok.

Customer Don drove over from Samut Prakan on the outskirts of Bangkok with her company colleagues to try the drink. She read about the shop on the Internet. She found it very interesting because plant-based products are now popular in the beverage market, and everyone is talking about them. The plant has been used in medicine for a long time, and some developed countries have also approved its use. She believes it will help Thailand's economic development.

The plant is classified as a drug in many countries, but it also has a long record of medical use. Users say it helps them relax, and patients have used it to ease symptoms such as dizziness, nausea and nerve pain. Thailand has traditionally used it in food. In 2019, the government's Narcotics Act was amended, making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize the plant for medical use. However, recreational use is still banned.

The bar in Bangkok is the first beverage shop in Thailand to incorporate the plant into drinks. The shop does not allow customers to consume it on the premises.

Government departments, private educational institutions approved by government departments, and farmers can grow the plant for medical use. Patients can use it for research and treatment. However, farmers cannot apply as individuals and must establish community-based enterprises. According to Thai government statistics, as of March this year, more than 100 community-based enterprises had applied to grow it.

The government will further loosen regulations on medical use of the plant in 2021, allowing doctors, patients and practitioners of traditional therapies to apply for cultivation permits, and allowing medical product manufacturers to export their products in the future. Thailand hopes to take a place in the international medical market.

The Ministry of Public Health also announced the removal of certain parts of the plant from the control list in 2021. The main active compound in the plant affects mood and perception, while another botanical compound helps people relax. Because plant material with a high concentration of the active compound is still on the control list, only the leaves, fibers, roots and stems were released.

While loosening regulations, the plant is not limited to medical use. In February 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the legal parts in beverages, bakeries, snacks, skincare products and cosmetics. The new regulation is expected to bring new life to the Thai economy.

Pakakrong Kwankhao, deputy director of a medical herb institute under the Ministry of Public Health, said in an interview with us that patients have always hoped people could legally use the plant for medical purposes. Before legalization, patients bought it through underground channels.

Pakakron said there had been a long tradition of using various parts of the plant in Thailand, including in dishes, and of combining it with other herbs in everyday cooking. The government therefore reasoned that, since the culture already had support, why not create an industrial chain so that all parties could benefit.

However, Pakakron said that even in the past people did not consume the plant every day, so the authorities gave restaurants guidelines for its use to protect the health and safety of customers. They have also worked with relevant units to train farmers to sell and develop their products and brands. Foreigners have repeatedly said they are willing to visit Thailand to try it after the COVID-19 epidemic. Legalization can promote the tourism industry and the economy.

While incorporating the plant into food might sound attractive, below are the potential risks of overconsumption. First-time users should refer to Decarboxylation: What You Need to Know for serving information.

Potential Risks of Overconsumption

Schizophrenia

A very worrying study found a solid and growing correlation between heavy, long-term use of high-strength plant products and mental illness. A group of foreign scientists carefully studied the health records of nearly 7.2 million people in Denmark and identified cases of problem use. Problem use is defined as being so dependent on the product that other aspects of life are neglected.

According to a study published last week in JAMA Psychiatry, schizophrenia is a neurological disease. It is characterized by disturbed thinking, emotions and behavior. People diagnosed with schizophrenia may not have a logical connection between their ideas. They may have distorted perception and attention, reduced emotional expression, and problems with movement and behavior. They may withdraw from other people or from daily reality and often hold unusual beliefs or experience hallucinations.

Although this type of research has limitations, it raises the concern that the plant may not be a relatively safe recreational product. At least when consumed in large quantities, its side effects tend to harm the human body.

This kind of retrospective research cannot determine a causal relationship between regular use and schizophrenia. There may be many other factors involved, but the researchers believe there is a link. The research team cited data such as the increasing strength of products, derived from the gradual increase in use in Denmark. Other studies also point to an interaction between use and schizophrenia risk factors and provide a lot of evidence. The researchers conclude that the plant is indeed dangerous.

Regular Use as a Driver of Schizophrenia.

Research author Carsten Hjorthøj of the Copenhagen Mental Health Research Center said: "I think it's essential to use our research and other research to emphasize that the plant is not harmless."

Hjorthøj continued: "Of course, researchers must replicate our findings elsewhere to draw definite conclusions." "But I'm pretty confident that we will see similar patterns in places where use is increasing, or where products are getting stronger, because many studies have shown that high-strength products may be a driving factor in connection with schizophrenia."

Frequent Use Can Affect Human Eyesight

A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Granada suggests that frequent use can damage human eyesight. That may not be surprising for people who use the plant often, but it is surprising for those who believe their own vision is still excellent. The study was published in Scientific Reports earlier this year. It showed that regular use could damage human vision, depth perception and focusing ability. Unexpectedly, a high percentage of users claimed their eyesight was still excellent.

Only 65% of the participants in this study admitted that their eyesight might deteriorate slightly at the peak of the effect. Still, another 30% believed that the plant did not damage their vision at all. The results of this study are indeed disturbing.

Use Can Produce an Extraordinary Sense of Excitement.

The main active compound in the plant stays in the human brain for a certain period. Scientists identified a receptor in the brain that responds to it. These receptors are scattered throughout the brain and are mainly concentrated in the cortex, basal nucleus, hypothalamus and hippocampal gyrus. These areas are in charge of thinking, behavior control, appetite regulation and memory formation.

The purpose of these receptors is not to let us consume the plant to the point of an intense effect, but to receive compounds the brain produces on its own. This natural system affects pain, memory, mood and appetite, and it also plays an important role in brain development. Because not many molecules share this receptor, an influx of a large amount of the active compound from outside can cause a powerful sense of excitement, increased appetite and other cognitive changes.

The Effects of Use Need Further Study

However, there are indeed some problems with the experiments conducted by scientists at the University of Granada. The significant factor is that the researchers studied only 31 volunteers while they were awake and after use. That sample is too small, so scientists need to conduct large-scale experiments to verify whether the results are consistent. Even so, this scientific beginning on how use affects vision makes an important point: as use becomes more common and more states in the United States legalize the plant, its effects on humans should be better understood.