The Justice Ministry will work with the Food and Drug Management (FDA) to allow the use of kratom leaves within food as well as organic and cosmetic items.
Kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa) was taken off the list of narcotics on Aug 24. People may grow and sell kratom plants while the federal government plans to develop the plant as a cash harvest eventually.
However , Justice Ressortchef (umgangssprachlich) Somsak Thepsutin mentioned the ministry has received many problems by business workers who say they might not process kratom leaves into items, such as medicine, as well as cosmetics, as current FDA regulations can still do not allow this.
The situation led to a comparison with cannabis, which was delisted from the country’s drugs list after kratom but can be prepared legally, he stated.
He said that although kratom was decriminalised, this cannot yet be applied in many industries despite its benefits such as helping combat fatigue, boosting energy, improving mood and pain alleviation.
According to the FDA’s Strategy plus Planning Division director Warawut Sermsinsiri, there is concern about the protection of kratom within food and other related products due to a lack of clinical trials.
“The issue now is not all of us but the lack of safety evidence. We need adequate information to make sure that making use of kratom in meals or other items is safe, ” he or she said.
A research team may be set up to collate studies carried out within Thailand and abroad to be sure that the plant or its organic extract is not damaging to health, he said.