Dr. CBD

I recently attended the opening of the latest retail shop and clinic for Dr. CBD in the Villa Market complex on the Petchakasem Rd in Hua Hin town centre.

The shop is clean and minimalist and concentrates on the professional portrayal of the emerging cannabis and kratom restrictions in Thailand. There is no doubt that cannabis is one of the most useful plants in existence and it has been used in many ways for many purposes in the past. But now the Thai government realising its healing properties have changed the law and allowed certain companies that meet the required high standards to operate and market their products to the general public.

I met CEO and founder of Dr CBD, Pornchai Padmindra who also happens to be the President of the trade body promoting the industry, the Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association (TIHTA). He explained their integrated procedures to me.

He explained that there are 3 stages: cultivation. They have their own controlled laboratories where they grow the plants in 1400sqm of indoor space in Bangkok. This is the safest and most clinical procedure otherwise it cannot be regarded as medical grade. The plants can get contaminated easily and the crop could end up tainted, ruined or became unfit for human consumption. You put the seeds in the soil and then draw up all kinds of minerals including heavy metals and remnants of pesticides that can last a few decades. 

The Western outdoor procedures which are conducted in Canada, America and many other countries across the world. In some European countries there controlled cultivation can be accepted but outdoor cultivation in Thailand loosely means some shade or unhygienic conditions that may not be optimal for human consumption.

The female plants that grow the flower buds are only used through the seeds, cloning or tissue culture but seeding is the key process. Currently Thailand has to import seeds as they do not have ample supply as the government has yet to relax laws so that cannabis growers could collect a variety of stock seeds for genetic development of local strains. 

Thailand’s Government Pharmaceutical Organization is already working on strain selection, breed improvement, cultivation and harvesting to produce medicines targeting these conditions.

At the end of month number 4 of the cultivation process they progress to extraction. The cut the flower buds and then throw away the stalks and start again.

I asked him how did an international corporate & investment banker, venture capitalist (his last 8 years was with CIMB a Malaysian bank with ASEAN coverage) get into the cannabis industry. “I was involved in everything but retail. Investment Banking, project management, corporate banking, listing companies and I was involved in the healthcare and preventative medicine sector. I saw the opportunity grow. Years ago people waited until they got sick before seeing a health professional and say “please fix me” but nowadays people are more informed and are taking preventative action ahead of time.

Times have changed, people are taking better care of themselves, looking for ways to improve their health and part of that process is using natural products or what we call Neutraceutical. Whatever extract you get the active compound, the good stuff in the plants you use them to replace the chemicals so that is the trend. This is the future of medicine. It has been made clear by many studies. 

Look at Kratom and what it can do. Kratom is another plant available in Thailand.

Following the debates it became clear to me that the Thai government were going to support liberalisation of narcotics schedule 5 products:hemp, cannabis and Kratom

3 years ago the government started to let commercial industry and its scientists, pharmacologists, chemists, doctors and research specialists so we could confirm the Western research that it could work.

Authorized government agencies, including those overseeing Thai traditional medicine, individual licensed medical doctors; educational institutions and community farmer cooperatives, would all be permitted to cultivate the crop.

My principle – coming up with something that can be safely consumed by humans (or pets) I have to ensure that the safety levels are high enough to satisfy my and others expectations and concern about toxicity. I have to ensure that our products are safe, pure with research backed efficacy and potency. We require solid scientific proof not just folklore word of mouth, so we had been conducting a great deal of scientific research.

Building block No 1. was scientific R & D and medical studies. Then I resigned from banking as I had created a business model. I needed to know that that would work.

2. The business model. We chose to be “fully integrated” from day one, we are not a large company, now with some 50 employees. We have raised close to 200M Baht to be spent on bringing the product to market. We do not have to rely upon anyone else we grow and cultivate, extract and produce the products and the retail them to the general public. That way I can guarantee that everything meets are own high standards and effectiveness of the products dispensed. 

Dr CBD clinic is what Thais would call “Saha”  a fusion of traditional medicine with western knowledge. It is a universal clinic with traditional doctors with a medical degree. We also have Thai Applied Traditional Medicine where the practitioners all have medical university degrees and have expertise in the field of acupuncture, massage therapy, herbal medicine. They are licensed to disperse cannabis and herbal products safely and legally.

Having a spinal deformity and 5 operations behind me I had become addicted to opiates. After discussing with the doctor and his colleagues they suggested I try their herbal formulation for pain management. They worked and I broke the opiates without a cold turkey experience!

There are certainly far more reasons to try natural products then there are against them. If you suffer from chronic pain, insomnia, digestive problems, arthritis or so many problems too many to list check out Dr. CBD’s website “www.drcbdgroup.com” Or call 0635424665 on or email them [email protected] and make an appointment for a consultation.

I can heartily recommend them!