Legalization of medical marijuana use only half complete: Anutin

By The Nation

 

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Wednesday that his plan to liberate marijuana for medical use is only at the half-way mark and much remains to be done before household growing of the plants can be allowed.

 

Anutin was speaking to reporters after presiding over the ceremony to certify the traditional medicine practice of Decha Siriphat and a ceremony to hand over Decha’s 5,000 bottles of cannabis oil to the Sri Prachan Hospital in Suphan Buri.

 

Anutin said the Public Health Ministry has yet to launch public awareness campaigns that the policy to legalize marijuana use is for medical purposes only and does not give permission to each household to plant six marijuana plants as outlined in the Bhumjaithai Party’s policy.

 

“Anyway, the policy to liberate marijuana for medical use is about half complete,” Anutin said.

 

The minister said the Bhumjaithai had already honoured the pre-poll promise by sponsoring a bill to amend the narcotics control act to allow people to grow marijuana for medical use.

 

“The bill was sent to the House two weeks ago, which demonstrates that my party and I have fulfilled our promise to push for the policy to legalize the marijuana for medical use,” Anutin said.

 

He said once the people truly understand that the legalization of marijuana is for medical purpose only, they will be allowed to grow the plants. Maejo University and the Prince of Songkla University will work together to develop species of marijuana that will be suitable for household planting.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30376748

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-26

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I knew the "govt." would screw this up

22 minutes ago, daoyai said:

I knew the "govt." would screw this up

Most governments screw this up when they start it's up to the people to fix it when the administration have had their turn after all the people decide what the government does. 

All this stuff about 6 plants per person is a political stunt. What patients with painful conditions need is medical-grade CBD and THC. The current situation is that the very small supply of CBD has been used up, with only THC left. The next batch from the GPO is expected in December. Only the GPO and Chao Phraya Aphaiphubet hospital have produced cannabis oil so far and Rangsit Uni has just started growing it.

 

The best chance of getting the oil is at CPA hospital's "Ganja Clinic" but this is a clinical trial held just once a month and focusing mainly on patients with Parkinson's or cancer chemo nausea. Other ailments are up to the doctor's discretion. The hospital provides a card stating that the patient is receiving legal cannabis, but the oil WILL show up positive in a urine test and the Thai police currently are likely to arrest the patient first and check the details later (if at all).

 

If you Google "podcast cannabis thailand interview with attorney" you'll find an interesting interview about what is going on behind the scenes. Also see the excellent BBC Horizon documentary "Cannabis: Miracle Medicine or Dangerous Drug?" The gist of it is that THC often works for pain reduction and CBD ameliorates its dangerous side-effects.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07l1j08

Exactly what I expected. Now the police can start ruining lives.

26 minutes ago, orientalist said:

All this stuff about 6 plants per person is a political stunt.

 

Anuthin started backing off the six-plant thing last week; local pro-cannabis tea-leavers say "vested interests" (aka economic conglomerates) pushed back when they saw this included in the legislation.

 

So no legalization, no de-criminalization, no home-growing.

 

He's pushed it out at least one year (maybe three years as one article metioned 2565?), saying that the public is not intelligent enough to grasp certain concepts yet.

 

 

 

 

So do I have to throw them out now? 

another half concocted idea ? say it ain't so.

1 hour ago, Colabamumbai said:

So do I have to throw them out now? 

Yes you do and you better throw them over here but don't tell anyone!Either that or burn the evidence,through a bong preferably.

50 minutes ago, sillyfool said:

another half concocted idea ? say it ain't so.

That's all that's needed in Thailand.Cannabis shops have started springing up and people are ordering online already it's going to be like trying to put Jack back in the box!Some seem to be trying to restrict Anutin's vision but the people have spoken and if the current admin become to obstructionist money will come to the rescue and as we know if there is a dollar in it there is also a Thai in it.

In fact some oil has just this very second been delivered to my door that I ordered yesterday so I might catch ya later!

"It's medication time" Nurse Ratchet.

Edited September 26, 20196 yr by FarFlungFalang
Add Text

It will be complete when we will all be allowed to grow 6 plants ❤️

 

 

I will say the quality is getting better

6 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

I will say the quality is getting better

It should also taste better when paraquat is banned.

Still think it’s harmless? 

1 minute ago, lust said:

Still think it’s harmless? 

Reefer Madness!!!!!

8 minutes ago, lust said:

Still think it’s harmless? 

My god!! <deleted>? Where is that from? The BS meter is high on these advertisement.

17 minutes ago, lust said:

Still think it’s harmless? 

Have you actually injected it? I wonder what the cooked baby tasted like. ????

19 minutes ago, lust said:

Still think it’s harmless? 

Nice marketing firm. 

20 minutes ago, thaichina said:

My god!! <deleted>? Where is that from? The BS meter is high on these advertisement.

Google “weed not even once”. It’s pretty funny 

7 minutes ago, lust said:

Google “weed not even once”. It’s pretty funny 

 

7 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

He's pushed it out at least one year (maybe three years as one article metioned 2565?), saying that the public is not intelligent enough to grasp certain concepts yet.

I think what he means is that the average Thai can't be expected to behave responsibly if allowed to grow personal cannabis plants and that it would not be used for medicinal purposes only. Anyway, this couldn't be controlled by police or anyone else.

 

I agree with the attorney in the above-mentioned podcast that cannabis will NEVER be legal for recreational use in Thailand. There will be enough money coming in from the distribution of medical cannabis to keep most folk happy and there is a conservative element in society that would oppose it.

14 minutes ago, orientalist said:

I agree with the attorney in the above-mentioned podcast that cannabis will NEVER be legal for recreational use in Thailand. There will be enough money coming in from the distribution of medical cannabis to keep most folk happy and there is a conservative element in society that would oppose it.

Before the US pressured Thailand and the whole world there was no war on drug. Once the US legalize at the federal level then I expect Thailand to follow sooner than later. The risk is low and the reward is high and all government/elite like money. 

Edited September 26, 20196 yr by Tayaout

There are a lot of conservative - and influential - Buddhists in Thailand. Smoking weed violates the 5th lay precept, which is not to ingest intoxicating substances that cause heedlessness. Similarly, gambling is forbidden because the Buddha spoke out against it (and other reasons, of course) despite the huge amounts of money that could be made from it.

27 minutes ago, orientalist said:

Similarly, gambling is forbidden because the Buddha spoke out against it (and other reasons, of course) despite the huge amounts of money that could be made from it.

I know there is no casino but the few time I saw Thai tv there was endless lottery. I think things will change. The younger people I know don't care about religion like my generation where I grew up. Also if there is a legalization movement in the west this will cause some friction with drug testing and they will probably need to adjust and it will become more relaxed. 

Edited September 26, 20196 yr by Tayaout

3 hours ago, lust said:

Still think it’s harmless? 

Yup, that's the result of shooting up all that marijuana.

 

Ah no now I get it. They shared the boyfriend didn't they. He's the evil reefer dude?

Edited September 26, 20196 yr by DrTuner

15 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Most governments screw this up when they start it's up to the people to fix it when the administration have had their turn after all the people decide what the government does. 

Anutin was speaking to reporters after presiding over the ceremony to certify the traditional medicine practice of Decha Siriphat and a ceremony to hand over Decha’s 5,000 bottles of cannabis oil to the Sri Prachan Hospital in Suphan Buri.

56 minutes ago, SASYTA said:

Anutin was speaking to reporters after presiding  Dafont Showbox Adam4adam  over the ceremony to certify the traditional medicine practice of Decha Siriphat and a ceremony to hand over Decha’s 5,000 bottles of cannabis oil to the Sri Prachan Hospital in Suphan Buri.

Most governments screw this up when they start it's up to the people to fix it when the administration have had their turn after all the people decide what the government does. 

12 hours ago, orientalist said:

I think what he means is that the average Thai can't be expected to behave responsibly if allowed to grow personal cannabis plants and that it would not be used for medicinal purposes only. Anyway, this couldn't be controlled by police or anyone else.

 

Yes, your translation and mine are not so dissimilar. The ruling class knows what's best for the masses.

 

Ya-ba clearly cannot be "controlled" by the police (by "controlled" I assume you mean "repressed", and not "controlling the distribution"?).

 

The challenge for Anutin and the BJT is that they ran, attained a number of seats (53?) and wedged into the government on the platform of cannabis decriminalization, legalization. and medical/recreational use. This was viewed by the electorate as a novel end-run around the PTB.

 

Now, to back down, puts them in a very negative light; just another set of scheming politicians lying to get votes.

 

 

11 hours ago, orientalist said:

There are a lot of conservative - and influential - Buddhists in Thailand. Smoking weed violates the 5th lay precept, which is not to ingest intoxicating substances that cause heedlessness. Similarly, gambling is forbidden because the Buddha spoke out against it (and other reasons, of course) despite the huge amounts of money that could be made from it.

 

I agree, cannabis will never be legalized here, at least not in the next 50 years.

 

The masses will have to get by on cheap alcohol, tobacco and ya-ba, while playing the government and underground lotteries, and the daily footy pools. What could be better than that?

 

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 20196 yr by mtls2005