Reform of drug laws begins as bill passes first reading

By Pratch Rujivanarom 
The Sunday Nation

 

Marijuana

 

NEW narcotics laws to decriminalise drug users and legalise the controlled use of kratom and marijuana passed first reading at the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday. 

 

The NLA passed by a landslide vote the three narcotics control policy bills, which are an effort by authorities to reform official drug policies and tackle the problem of overcrowded prisons.

 

Academics praised the new laws as heading in the right direction for drug reform, but cautioned that there remained the need for clear regulations to help prevent drug abuse and segregate drug users from drug dealers.

 

Deputy Prime Minister ACM Prachin Chantong said that the three bills will later be merged into a single law regulating various aspects of drug issues. The final bill will aim to legalise a limited use of narcotics for medical, science and industrial purposes, while enhancing the rehabilitation of drug users and limiting the spread of drug abuse in society.

 

Prachin said that in parallel with the new laws, a committee will be set up under the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) responsible for drafting rules and measures governing the use of narcotic drugs. As well, the ONCB will be required by the new laws to announce the legal use of kratom in specific areas and under certain terms and conditions.

 

Under the new narcotics law, kratom and marijuana will not be labelled a narcotic drugs with attendant punishments for use. Use of the two plant-based drugs would remain controlled and regulated by Public Health Ministry and ONCB, he said.

 

Prachin also said a committee would be created to revise enforcement procedures for narcotic drug offences. There will be a shift from punishing drug users to instead treating drug use as a medical issue, with users sent to hospitals for rehabilitation. The shift is expected to help solve the problem of overflowing prisons.

 

According to the Thailand Institute of Justice, the country now has 343,657 people jailed, the highest number in Asean, and sixth highest globally. Over 70 per cent of prisoners in Thailand are there for drug offences.

 

Prapapun Chucharoen, expert on narcotic drugs at the Asean Institute for Health Development at Mahidol University, said the authorities’ change of policies governing use of kratom and marijuana is a step in the right direction. The plants have many medical and scientific benefits, she said, but clear control measures need to be in place to prevent abuse.

 

Prapapun said kratom has no serious harm on human health if used properly, but she has found that many youths abused kratom by mixing it with other substances to create dangerous narcotic cocktails. Authorities must ensure there are clear rules to restrict the improper use of the plants.

 

“I also agree with the decriminalisation for drug users, as from a medical point of view they are patients with brain and behavioural disorders. But the officers will have to make sure that we have a good system in place to separate drug users from drug dealers, or we will not be able to stop the spread of drugs in our society,” she said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30347919

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-17

1 minute ago, rooster59 said:

NEW narcotics laws to decriminalise drug users and legalise the controlled use of kratom and marijuana passed first reading at the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday. 

It is rare that I have anything good to say about the Junta or the NLA, but this is the exception.

 

Decriminalization of weed for medical purposes is an all around good thing. However, it is merely a first step in a better process of complete legalization.

 

What are the benefits of legalization? Increased tax money. Increased tourism. Fewer people in jail. Lower assault rates. Lower domestic violence and thus better protection for women. Less drunk-driving. Etc Etc Etc.

 

Thailand; this is a good first step, but it would be better if you simply went ahead and implemented full legalization. Someone in SE Asia will do it and the first country to do so will reap most of the benefits.

 

You always say you want to be a "Hub"; now is your chance.

 

Dare to do the right thing...

 

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Less drunk-driving.

....driving stoned is not any better.. how do they enforce that? 

Time to start viewing all drugs in the clear light of the present day. Alcohol and cigarettes need to be evaluated alongside marijuana and kratom. The most common (legal) drugs in Thailand have brought immense wealth to the dealers while at the same time dealers of other drugs are imprisoned and vilified. We are all aware that alcohol has ruined the lives of some while at the same time bringing enjoyment to others but we dont accept this contradiction for other drugs. We are free to choose to ruin our lives with some drugs while others remain completely forbidden. It's a strange situation. 

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Less drunk-driving.

I am not disagreeing with your stance that it would probably be okey to implement full legalization. Sure, it can work. As well as it can not work. In this country we have to take into consideration that we are dealing with a totally different mentallity. The biggest amount of drug users are still going to be Thais in this country, and then we can´t in any way predict that result or the consequences of this.

However, I will never agree with your "Less drunk-driving" stance. Here you have to be able to think broader.
A person affected by any kind of substance that alters the reaction and concentration capabilities, is never a choice to prefer- Therefore your information about less drunk-drining is only going to be replaced by another form of negative substance before a person is sitting behind a wheel or driving a motorbike. The  overload regarding drunk-driving in this country is to be measured on the same level as to continue driving when you are to tired. In other word a deep lack of personal judgement. That of all drunk-driving is not the substance itself, it´s the lack of judgement when using it.

When that has been said, we are going back to the point of no return. We are dealing with a country where the lack of judgement in all areas is so big and visible, so it´s very hard for me at this point to be able to predict how a full legalization of these drugs will affect the country and it´s population in both positive and negative ways.

 

Therefore all the other, in your mind, positive effects. Yeah, it can quickly turn into a nightmare instead.

Edited June 17, 20188 yr by Get Real

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

There will be a shift from punishing drug users to instead treating drug use as a medical issue, with users sent to hospitals for rehabilitation. The shift is expected to help solve the problem of overflowing prisons.

Yeah, fill up the hospitals instead.

If they do fully legalise marijuana and kratom there might be some hope the users of yaba might do a switcheroo to these drugs and change their habits to avoid jail penalties. Apart from any other advantage it might even save the lives of a few wives, girlfriends, children and family members of users/abusers. 

But people should not get too excited. The PM is over endowed with righteousness, virtue and morality and put the kibosh on this plan once before. Hopefully he will not stand in the way this time around.

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Lower domestic violence and thus better protection for women. Less drunk-driving.

 

Where do you get your data for these assertions?

42 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

Time to start viewing all drugs in the clear light of the present day. Alcohol and cigarettes need to be evaluated alongside marijuana and kratom. The most common (legal) drugs in Thailand have brought immense wealth to the dealers while at the same time dealers of other drugs are imprisoned and vilified. We are all aware that alcohol has ruined the lives of some while at the same time bringing enjoyment to others but we dont accept this contradiction for other drugs. We are free to choose to ruin our lives with some drugs while others remain completely forbidden. It's a strange situation. 

Are you talking about marijuana & kratom?

Because to a limited extent, I agree with you.

 

Many other drugs, are illegal for a very good reason, ie they are addictive & often fatal.

 

There are some people that can & do use drugs with a certain amount of responsibility, but unfortunately, there are far more that don't.

Being 'free' doesn't mean doing whatever you want. Freedom means to carry 'the load' with responsibility.

 

Yup, tobacco & alcohol are also addictive & very harmful, & what concerns me is allowing everybody access to the 2 drugs mentioned here, when there are way too many people who won't use them sensibly.

 

Drugs aren't a 'level playing field' as they differ hugely in their effect, & some people develop psychosis from marijuana.

 

Whether it's because they have a predisposition to mental illness, I don't know.

 

Drunk people fight.

Weed people don't.

Weed better.

If some drugs are legalised the RTP will have to look elsewhere for other sources of revenue.

1 hour ago, NetJunkie said:

 

Where do you get your data for these assertions?

Hey Newbie, don't you read the news? If you have any information to share that might contradict these claims please let us all know.

Instead of throwing around smart ass obtuse questions try giving an opinion yourself. Lift your game .

10 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Hey Newbie, don't you read the news? If you have any information to share that might contradict these claims please let us all know.

Instead of throwing around smart ass obtuse questions try giving an opinion yourself. Lift your game .

 

Wow! Great opening, "newbie", lol. Please don't confuse a new ID with limited time here or knowledge.

 

Why should I have to find data to contradict what someone has stated, surely it is far easier for them to show where they got their data from?

 

Maybe I will give my opinion when the poster supplies me with the link and I can read the full data that he makes assertions from.

Im suspecting big FOOD is behind this step, if they fully legalize weed profits will soar. 

 

There will have to be a bigger police presence to process all the assaults on mars bars and pizza's.  But if more alcohol users would do weed then the police work on other forms of violence would drop of course. So its probably a good thing.

 

 

13 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Hey Newbie, don't you read the news?

 

Maybe you can send me a link to these news stories that extol the good that legalizing cannabis will do to both the domestic violence and drink driving figures?

2 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

....driving stoned is not any better.. how do they enforce that? 

Drunk people overrun stop signs. Stoned people wait for them to turn green.

23 minutes ago, NetJunkie said:

 

Maybe you can send me a link to these news stories that extol the good that legalizing cannabis will do to both the domestic violence and drink driving figures?

It is a well known fact that cannabis calms people and makes them less aggressive. 

The worst is the combination of amphetamines and alcohol. 

Agreed -it is not advisable to drive when "stoned" but I can assure you that those who do will be more cautious and will not be driving fast and reckless.

1 hour ago, faraday said:

Many other drugs, are illegal for a very good reason, ie they are addictive & often fatal.

And alcohol falls into this category.

All I am saying is that we have been allowed to choose to indulge or not in alcohol and tobacco but refused the choice on other substances. Quite why this is so makes no sense.

2 hours ago, faraday said:

There are some people that can & do use drugs with a certain amount of responsibility, but unfortunately, there are far more that don't.

I agree with you that many cant handle drugs responsibly. But people will, and do, make their own choices when it comes to their own body, they dont accept govts choosing for them. Which is why drugs laws all around the world fail. 

 

2 hours ago, faraday said:

when there are way too many people who won't use them sensibly.

Which can be said about voting, driving, junk food and computer games but we dont try to legislate on those things. Why drugs?

57 minutes ago, NetJunkie said:

 

Maybe you can send me a link to these news stories that extol the good that legalizing cannabis will do to both the domestic violence and drink driving figures?

try this one junkie

https://news.vice.com/article/ungass-portugal-what-happened-after-decriminalization-drugs-weed-to-heroin
 

 

Edited June 17, 20188 yr by wombat

3 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

....driving stoned is not any better.. how do they enforce that? 

Tell us more please!!

Finally I don't have to worry about my severe back pain while in LOS?

NetJunkie... (how ironic that you have identified as a "junkie")

 

You better get used to saying "but but".. the tide has definitely turned and decades of propaganda are going up in smoke (555 see what I did there)

 

Canada legalizes recreational (not just nod and a wink medical) next week. Many other countries soon to follow.

 

The War is just about over. Best to get all your white hankies at the ready.

It's times like this when I have doubts about my atheism and begin to think there really is a god

It should never have been illegal,if it steer's people away from yaba and meth,that can only be a good thing.

4 hours ago, Cadbury said:

If they do fully legalise marijuana and kratom there might be some hope the users of yaba might do a switcheroo to these drugs and change their habits to avoid jail penalties. Apart from any other advantage it might even save the lives of a few wives, girlfriends, children and family members of users/abusers. 

But people should not get too excited. The PM is over endowed with righteousness, virtue and morality and put the kibosh on this plan once before. Hopefully he will not stand in the way this time around.

Wives , girlfriends, children???????? What do you assume all or even most abusers are men? Have you never met the wrath of a Thai woman? A Thai woman who looses her temper can be quite violent and abusive.Im not just talking about bargirls..... Highly educated professional working Thai women too. They all seem to have this Gene.

The amount of mates I've known who can barely walk and are all "nah mate I'm good to drive..." where as all the stoners I used to live with were like "can you do me a favour and go to the store for me?" as they're plastered to the couch.  I never met an aggressive stoner either.  Not to say that they don't exist.  They might.  It's just that all the housemates I've had in my uni years (and I had a lot) that were stoners were more interested in "imagine if this was a magic pizza box with endless pizzas" than getting into fights, even over the last slice of pizza.

 

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The NLA passed by a landslide vote the three narcotics control policy bills, which are an effort by authorities to reform official drug policies and tackle the problem of overcrowded prisons.

Sounds like progress, but as for prison overcrowding Thaksin had the "ultimate solution" kill them all, surprising that he stopped at 2800 people really. A side benefit was that there was no overcrowding of the courts, no trials, no problem.

2 hours ago, NetJunkie said:

 

Wow! Great opening, "newbie", lol. Please don't confuse a new ID with limited time here or knowledge.

 

Why should I have to find data to contradict what someone has stated, surely it is far easier for them to show where they got their data from?

 

Maybe I will give my opinion when the poster supplies me with the link and I can read the full data that he makes assertions from.

Dude you got banned and now your back new nic. No biggie.. Carry on 

3 hours ago, Anak Nakal said:

Drunk people fight.

Weed people don't.

Weed better.

Sane people dont fight, no drugs  required

6 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

It is rare that I have anything good to say about the Junta or the NLA, but this is the exception.

 

Decriminalization of weed for medical purposes is an all around good thing. However, it is merely a first step in a better process of complete legalization.

 

What are the benefits of legalization? Increased tax money. Increased tourism. Fewer people in jail. Lower assault rates. Lower domestic violence and thus better protection for women. Less drunk-driving. Etc Etc Etc.

 

Thailand; this is a good first step, but it would be better if you simply went ahead and implemented full legalization. Someone in SE Asia will do it and the first country to do so will reap most of the benefits.

 

You always say you want to be a "Hub"; now is your chance.

 

Dare to do the right thing...

 

Totally agree but there must be a 'reason' ($$$) and I certainly don't believe P&P would do it for altruistic reasons. But would be over the moon to see it happen. 70%?  that's madness