New technology ‘will efficiently keep tabs on marijuana in the country’

By CHULARAT SAENGPASSA 
THE NATION

 

 

THE LATEST technology will efficiently control cannabis once it is reclassified as a legal item for research and other applications, an adviser to the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) told a key forum yesterday.

 

“We have a mapping system and many other tools to track, monitor and control [cannabis],” Pipop Chamnivikaipong, who works for ONCB, said. “The situation is |different from the past [when such tools did not exist].” 

 

 

However, he was not able to convince everyone present at the forum organised by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA). Concerns still linger about whether Thai authorities will really be able to ensure that only authorised personnel have access to marijuana. 

 

NLA president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai presided over yesterday’s seminar, which was held to gather opinions from all sectors regarding the proposal to legalise the medical use of cannabis. 

 

“We intend to conclude public opinions by next week and present data by mid-next month,” NLA member Somchai Swangkarn said, adding that the NLA should deliberate the amendment late next month or early December. 

 

“It’s possible that the NLA will clear this amendment during its tenure,” he said. 

 

Jetn Sirathranont, who chairs the NLA committee on public health, said several studies show that cannabinoid extracts had medical benefits. 

 

“But we also need to discuss control measures,” he said. 

 

Wichai Chaimongkhon, deputy secretary-general of ONCB, said his agency backed the idea of putting cannabis to good use and is giving serious thought to introducing control measures. 

 

“We are planning control measures and they are based on the perspective that cannabis is a type of narcotic,” he said. 

 

 

Pipop said users of cannabinoid substances can be registered and a Geographic Information System used to ensure only authorised users can get marijuana. 

 

“A government agency should be assigned to control the use of marijuana if it is legalised,” Supaporn Pitiporn, a leading pharmacist at the Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital said. “We need to keep track and monitor users.” 

 

However, according to the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, cannabis has been an ingredient in more than 100 traditional medicine recipes. 

 

The department’s director-general, Marut Jirasrattasiri, said cannabis extracts could be tested at the Prasat Neurological Institute as part of research and clinical trials, in order to pave the way for the registration of cannabis-based drugs in Thailand. 

 

Gamhom Nalanchang, a doctorate holder, said she had sold cannabis plants and related equipment to authorised marijuana users in collaboration with US agencies. 

 

“Growers are registered and there is a ceiling on how many cannabis plants they can grow at home,” she said. 

 

According to her, many growers are elderly people battling several diseases, who need marijuana to cope with the effects of medication. 

A participant at the seminar said Khampramong Temple has been treating cancer patients with traditional medication for a decade now. 

 

“Our experience shows that a herbal concoction, which uses cannabis, can help cancer patients,” he said, emphasising the need for the authorities to act fast in legalising cannabis for patients’ benefits. 

 

Vicha Mahakun, chairman of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, said he hoped measures will be put in place to prevent a monopoly once marijuana is legalised. 

 

Pipop added that legislators should also ensure that the law allows the use of all parts of the cannabis plant, not just the extract, to avoid problems later. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30357536

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-31

Where do I even start? So infuriating. 

 

1) Cannabis is not a narcotic. It is less addictive than coffee. No one has died of an overdose. The LD50 (fatal dose) is not even known. That's how non-narcotic this is. It does make one think though, which has always been the real danger. 

 

2) "Marijuana" is a made-up word from the 1930s, created by Harry J. Anslinger to fool Congress passing into a prohibition bill. Many congressmen didn't realize it was cannabis, or "Indian Hemp" they were talking about, or they wouldn't have passed the bill. This slur word plays heavily into racist stereotypes of unhinged Mexicans raping "our women." Hmmm, that sound a lot like a particular orange muppet. History repeats itself. 

3) The name of the plant is Cannabis Sativa, which literally translates to mean "useful plant." Its uses are endless. Not only as medicine, but as food, building materials, paper, clothing, and on and on. Anslinger's partner in crime was William Hearst, who needed to protect his paper and cotton industry, and had the ways and means to influence public opinion (via fake news). 

OK, all things considered, I'm glad some Thai Ph.D's are raising the issue of 80 years of lunacy and the spectacular good this plant (ganja, meaning plant from the holy river of Ganges), would bring to people at all levels of society. 

 

What was all that nonsense about?

"...New technology ‘will efficiently keep tabs on marijuana in the country’..."

 

No, it won't.

 

Once you open the door to legal/medicinal weed, all restrictions will go down the drain in a relatively short period of time; better to simply legalize and organize now, rather than have it forced on you later.

 

That is the lesson you should have learned from all those 'foreign study tours' and previous 'research'.

 

Stop all this blabbing, moaning and throat-clearing. Legal weed will be a major business for Thailand, IF Thailand has the foresight to be first and do it right.

 

As the man says, 

 

Just do it

 

Sounds pretty freaky. I'll just take half a tab. 

Any problems, Just call the wide awake club. 

More huffing and puffing literally

What is this new technology, per se?

Who knows, maybe pretty boy Trudeau started something in my native Canabisda. Maybe the legalization in Canada will have some sort of snowball effect. I haven't smoked a wiff in YEARS and I still think that one is not a criminal for consuming and I really hope it becomes legal world wide. Even if it did chances of my smoking against are pretty nil.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“We have a mapping system and many other tools to track, monitor and control [cannabis],” Pipop Chamnivikaipong, who works for ONCB,

Being cynical, I get the impression this guy must have been testing first-hand whether these alleged "tools" and the "mapping system" work, by smoking as much as he can.

It's a very vague claim, undoubtedly to make out they know what they're doing:

Mapping system - is that pins on a large scale map?

Tools to track, monitor, control - that must be to try and discover growers? How would they be able to track very small quantities? They can't even track stolen vehicles.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“We have a mapping system and many other tools to track, monitor and control [cannabis],” Pipop Chamnivikaipong, who works for ONCB, said.

 

Ah yes, the infallible Bong 200.

 

 

 

 

Thailand can't even collect it's outstanding fines due to lack of technology to cross check ownership with licences with ID cards so how the hell are they going to control marijuana??????

It's good that some bigwig can cream some money off introducing new technology to control marijuana.

In the mean time and after said technology is introduced, everyone who chooses to can just carry on buying readily available, cheap weed as per normal. No extract, no oil just a good old fashioned bamboo bong. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Change the water regularly though ????

(and <deleted> don't spill it!!)

We are to believe the tools exist to ensure the demon weed is only used by authorised people; so why are these tools not used to control the illegal "narcotic" today?

 

Aah but of course, the "tools" they refer to would be the RTP...

Weed Sniffer 5000

(actually called the "Nasal Ranger" ????)

 

Easy! Just look for the red eyes.

15 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Easy! Just look for the red eyes.

Do you really want to shut down public transport in the kingdom?

 

If they did arrest all drivers with 'Yabaa' red eyes there will be almost none left. ????

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...New technology ‘will efficiently keep tabs on marijuana in the country’..."

 

No, it won't.

 

Once you open the door to legal/medicinal weed, all restrictions will go down the drain in a relatively short period of time; better to simply legalize and organize now, rather than have it forced on you later.

 

That is the lesson you should have learned from all those 'foreign study tours' and previous 'research'.

 

Stop all this blabbing, moaning and throat-clearing. Legal weed will be a major business for Thailand, IF Thailand has the foresight to be first and do it right.

 

As the man says, 

 

Just do it

 

That door is there to be  milked by the BIB though, now they free up the jails increase the fines and its an all round  win for them and the prison system.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“We have a mapping system and many other tools to track, monitor and control [cannabis],” Pipop Chamnivikaipong,

"unfortunately it does not work with Meth, Yaba and cocaine".

5 hours ago, webfact said:

We have a mapping system

Is it Google maps, or must it be hand-drawn?

Just now, Lupatria said:

"unfortunately it does not work with Meth, Yaba and cocaine".

Unfortunately it's not backwards compatible - to the year dot.

Keep tabs on anything that grows in the Garden next.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

What's really a shame is that most progressive countries had this discussion 20 yrs ago, but better late than never.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Pipop said users of cannabinoid substances can be registered and a Geographic Information System used to ensure only authorised users can get marijuana

Authorised or not just try stopping 'em .. 

I fid the subject fascinating.Feel a bit sorry for those who buy it. I can talk a load of Crap without it.????[emoji481]


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Foreigners will not be allowed, only pee tested. .

Well the precedent has been set; B2000 is a fine for pissing out the door of a cab. Make it a fine if caught stoned without prescription B2,500 to B4,000! If they don't pay take their motor bike. Follow the lead of Canada, they seem to be doing something right with their use of the drug.

2 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Easy! Just look for the red eyes.

That's what Visine is used for 

Technology haha. How's Thailand 4 travelling son 

What is this new technology, per se?

Cannabis 4.0 the smart weed.