Weed policy U-turn draws flak

Network plans ‘ big rally’ in capital

Weed policy U-turn draws flak
The Asia International Hemp Expo, which will take place in Bangkok in November 2022, features hemp species. ( Photo: Somchai Poomlard )

The president’s about- turn on the last government’s cannabis decriminalisation coverage has drawn criticism from critics, with activists vowing to rally its plan to categorize the plant as a opiate.

Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, stated on Thursday that the government wants to reclassify marijuana as a narcotic and that the decision should n’t irritate the Bhumjaithai Party, a coalition member.

After the party’s primary battle strategy prior to the 2019 election, the plant was decriminalized in 2022.

According to Mr. Srettha,” the alliance government makes a decision in the best interests of the people.”

Mr. Srettha, who was questioned whether he had spoken with Bhumjaithai head Anutin Charnvirakul and the interior minister, had said that the two had previously discussed it.

Mr. Srettha and related officials met on Wednesday to talk about the country’s drug problem. Among those present were Mr Anutin, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin, Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong and security officers.

Chai Wacharonke, a spokeswoman for the government, gave a succinct summary of the appointment.

The PM warned federal agencies to crack down on drug traffickers, capture drug-related assets, and intensify efforts to help repair addicts, according to Mr. Chai, while also expressing his concern about the cultural repercussions of the drug problem.

According to the official, the prime minister is cited as saying, “nothing is a federal focus.”

According to the official, Mr. Srettha also instructed the Public Health Ministry to update a ministerial legislation to reinstate cannabis on the list of prohibited substances and to create a new one to ensure that the herb is only used for medical reasons by the end of this year.

” The medicine issue is a pressing problem. It is undermining the government’s potential. The government must make quick progress in addressing it.

” All concerned agencies must exert greater pressure on drug traffickers and rehabilitators,” he said. Progress may be made within 90 time,” Mr Chai said, quoting the PM as saying.

The National Narcotics Control Board approved the removal of hemp from the narcotics record, according to Mr. Anutin on Thursday. The Public Health Ministry must collect enough data to support the reclassification of marijuana as a opiate, he said.

If the authorities decide to categorize marijuana as a narcotic, vice president Prasitchai Nunual, announced yesterday that the cannabis potential network would hold a significant rally in front of Government House.

Prior to the 2019 vote, Bhumjaithai made one of the most important commitments in the campaign: legalizing marijuana.

The flower was afterwards delisted from Category 5 of the cocaine law, except extract containing more than 0.2 % tetrahydrocannabinol, the substance that creates the psychedelic influence, in an announcement in the Royal Gazette on June 9, 2022.

It permits the use of hemp as a common supplement for medical reasons.

By allowing cannabis and cannabis to be used in food, clothing, and cosmetics, the plan sought to promote its clinical advantages and support the economy.

People under the age of 20 and pregnant ladies are not permitted to smoke in public or sell products. Additionally, cannabis growers who are licensed for business use may also apply for licenses.

But, decriminalization came before the necessary laws to regulate and control its use, creating a free-for-all environment for firms, many of which were foreigners, to invest in cannabis stores while users were given little advice on how to use it.

A hemp act has not yet been passed in Parliament, which raises queries about how far cannabis has really come.

In its second studying in parliament at the beginning of the time, Bhumjaithai’s costs for cannabis power was rejected. A municipal law and a number of other safeguards are included in this bill.

The Democrat and Pheu Thai events at the time opposed the bill, arguing that the proposed rules were too weak.