Following a complaint to the Damrongtham Center, public health officials visited a clinic in Mae Rim accused of selling illegal marijuana oil and other herbal medicine with marijuana oil extracts to cancer and other patients.
On arrival at the unofficial ‘clinic’ officials found some two hospital beds for inpatients as well as five for out patients, including many medical equipment from needles to pharmaceutical products, including the illegal oils and herbs.
Arunwan Nualchan, 49, admitted to running the ‘clinic’ but claimed that it was an education center for local medicine and herbal medicine which uses traditional Thai and Chinese medical practices to cure patients, especially cancer patients. Arunwan told authorities that she was in the process of getting all legal documents and permits, but that there was yet a permit issued to run as a clinic. She did insist, however, that while waiting for the permit to come through she wasn’t charging her patients any fee, so as to avoid any illegal charges. She said that at this point she is only offering free advice.
She did admit, however, that some patients have donated cement and other building materials to help her to complete the construction of the clinic. As to the marijuana oils she admitted that they were hers but claimed to have been a student of a famous lecturer who had developed the oils and that he had given her some. She said that the oils were left over from the lecturer and insisted that there was no buying or selling of the oil at all.
Aruwan told authorities that her centre was set up to help those who were really suffering who had no recourse to purchase expensive medicine or seek medical help. She said that it was impossible for her to turn away people in trouble.
The public health office told reporters that their investigation has led them to believe that Arunwan may not be telling the whole truth. According to officials they found a social media post from Arunwan from February offering to give away free marijuana oil.
Officials say that they will continue their investigation to find the truth.