A CANNABIS network today (Sep. 22) urged Public Health Minister Chonlanan Srikaew to clearly define what a planned draft bill on cannabis and hemp would mean in saying it is to be for medical and health purposes only because if traditional medical practitioners are cut out it could lead to conflicts, TV Channel 7 said.
After the liberal marijuana policy became effective on June 9, 2022 possessing and using all parts of cannabis plants, including flowers and seeds, are now allowed. However, extracted content remains illegal if it contains more than 0.2% of the psychoactive ingredient that produces a “high” — tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
Mr. Prasitchai Noonuan, secretary-general of Writing Thailand’s Cannabis Future network, pointed out that marijuana has been used by local medical practitioners to treat patients for hundreds of years but when it comes analysing its use it is modern medical doctors who are asked to undertake the task with most of them disliking it.
“If Dr Chonlanan only asks modern medical doctors to define marijuana conflicts will occur. This isn’t just a fight over marijuana but also about squeezing out local knowledge time and again.
“I don’t think the local people will allow the government to oppress them.
“For them the next battle is determining what marijuana is and defining what medical and health usage would mean.
“I want Dr. Chonlanan to respect local medical treatment and please read traditional medicine textbooks that say smoking marijuana is a type of treatment,” he said.
Prasitchai also revealed that some Pheu Thai MPs had told him that their party wants to delete Section 18 of this draft bill which would allow each household to grow a maximum of 15 cannabis plants.
In his opinion this move is intended to allow big capitalists to control marijuana production similar to the alcohol industry.
“When the situation reaches this point then we would have to prepare to rally because marijuana is worth hundreds of billion baht,” he said.
He invited those interested to join a meeting in Krabi tomorrow to brainstorm on drafting a marijuana legislation.
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Top and Front Page: Cannabis leaves and plants. Photo: Thai Rath
Insert: Public Health Minister Chonlanan Srikaew. Photo: Thai Rath
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