Harmonizing health logistics: A digital framework for balancing medical cannabis demand and supply

Cannabis is well recognized in the medical field despite numerous controversies surrounding it. Its cultivation certainly has economic importance, but regulation is complex. Standardized practices are crucial across the value chain, with traceability vital for monitoring its use. This study introduces a digital medical cannabis framework aimed at balancing the demand and supply. The systematic review incorporates articles, policies and law documentations to identify the factors confirmed by the expert panel. A total of 12 experts from medical, agricultural and technological fields, each holding executive management positions, participated in the semi-structured interviews. The agreement and consensus were determined using the content validity index. The findings show that the medical cannabis supply chain visibility is needed to share data for quality assurance, monitoring and governance. Raw materials, resources, finished goods, expertise, logistics and eligible patient profiles should be transferred in real time from supplier to patient. Transparency, safety and good decision-making need to be promoted. The digital management solution delivers rigorous monitoring and tracing, improves pharmacovigilance, and adapts to national health policies and reimbursement standards. Sharing accurate information with stakeholders encourages centralized management as a farm-to-research-and-clinical service. Demand forecasting is essential for setting production quotas to avoid overproduction and abuse. This paper presents a comprehensive perspective and insights into the medical cannabis supply chain. It contributes to the interdisciplinary knowledge of logistics, health systems and technology management. The proposed framework encourages regulatory trust and fosters engagement among diverse stakeholders, with digital technology serving as the primary facilitator. It emphasizes the crucial role of central administration in enabling demand-supply balancing. Overview: Our research emphasized the critical need for enhanced supply chain visibility in the medical cannabis industry to facilitate a connected system and data sharing for quality assurance, monitoring, and governance. We conducted this study in Thailand because a new medical cannabis policy has been launched. The key components are as follows. • Digital Management Approach: • Robust Tracking and Tracing: The proposed digital management system offers advanced tracking and tracing capabilities, ensuring that every stage of the supply chain is monitored. • Enhanced Pharmacovigilance: The framework is designed to improve the ability to monitor the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis products, aligning with pharmaceutical and related standards. • Adaptability: The framework is designed to be flexible, allowing for easy adaptation to evolving health policies and regulatory requirements due to data visibility concept. • Methodology: • Content Validity Index: A systematic review was conducted using the content validity index to identify key factors validated by an expert panel. • Stakeholder Insights: The research incorporates comprehensive insights from various stakeholders who related in supply chain, including logistics experts, health system professionals, and digital management specialists. • Strategic Guidance and Implementation: • Comprehensive View: This research provides a thorough overview of the current state of supply chain visibility in the medical cannabis industry. • Information Flow: It highlights the importance of seamless information flow between all stakeholders to ensure quality and compliance. • Technology for Implementation: Strategic guidance is offered on the potential technologies that can be implemented to achieve the desired supply chain visibility and data sharing capabilities. In sum : The findings provide strategic guidance for supply chain management in the medical cannabis industry, facilitating enhanced quality assurance, monitoring, and governance through improved the visibility. The implementation of a robust digital management system is essential for adapting to changes in health related policies and ensuring the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis products.