Anutin rants on marijuana: He says people are free to grow it - law says it's NOT a narcotic - promises to defend anyone arrested

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: Marijuana freedom

 

Thailand's health minister and DPM Anutin Charnvirakul has thrown the whole question about the precise legality of marijuana into utter confusion. 

 

The Bhumjaithai party leader was swept to power on the back of a manifesto promising that every household would be free to grow several plants. 

 

Now he has ranted on the issue to the Thai media and is adamant that the new laws mean that marijuana is NOT a narcotic. 

 

He said that no one should stand in the way of people wanting to grow it to earn a living. 

 

The "intent of the law was to make it free to grow" he insisted. The interpretation of the law was another matter. 

 

But his comments left observers more confused than enlightened.

 

Still he was adamant that people were free to grow the plant for medicinal use providing it had less than 0.2% THC. 

 

This would still mean that regular plants that make the user high would be illegal - though Anutin chose not to be precise about that - a situation that could see growers and users wind up in jail.

 

Instead he promised that Bhumjaithai party list MP and lawyer Suphachaijai Samutjai would defend anyone charged with growing the plant.

 

The rant - reported in Daily News -  came as Thai print media reported the arrest of a 32 year old Briton on Koh Samui for possession of marijuana. 

 

ASEAN NOW advises extreme caution on recreational use of marijuana in Thailand. 

 

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[ThailandRyan]

The Minister of Pot Hash (brownies) has spoken.  Take another bong hit my friend so that you keep that smile on your face.

[petermik]

open mouth and foot enters...does this chap ever learn...ohh forget that...its a pointless question.

[Bkk Brian]

I'm surprised Anutin's not latched onto this nice little earner yet:

 

Cannabis Compounds Prevented Covid Infection in Laboratory Study

 

Cannabis compounds prevented the virus that causes Covid-19 from penetrating healthy human cells, according to a laboratory study published in the Journal of Nature Products. 

 

The two compounds commonly found in hemp -- called cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA -- were identified during a chemical screening effort as having potential to combat coronavirus, researchers from Oregon State University said. In the study, they bound to spike proteins found on the virus and blocked a step the pathogen uses to infect people.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-12/cannabis-compounds-prevented-covid-infection-in-laboratory-study

[Thailand]

The next pm of Thailand.

 

Cannabis - and Casinos and massive backing.

[tonray]

Sounds awfully like his 'garden' is nearly ready for harvest

[mtls2005]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

The "intent of the law was to make it free to grow" he insisted. The interpretation of the law was another matter. 

 

Ah yes, the "interpretation".

 

thai (Three Seals - 1805) law 101.

 

The "law" means whatever the chap higher up the pyramid says it means.

 

 

Not sure what's up with anutin here? Maybe he's confused? Maybe he thought the underlings carried out his orders?

[bdenner]

I guess we know now how he made his Millions/Billions!

[mtls2005]

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

Still he was adamant that people were free to grow the plant for medicinal use providing it had less than 0.2% THC. 

Yeah, I don't even think this is accurate.

 

Yes, some may be free to grow sub-0.2% THC plants, provided they get permission, licenses, and are subject to oversight, inspection, testing, prosecution.

 

 

 

This is so very odd, even for anutin and thailand.

 

Free entertainment I guess.

 

Watching one of thailand's best and brightest  (ok Hofstra isn't even the Harvard of Long Island, ADR to any alum here) flame out publicly does evoke a chuckle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by mtls2005

[sleepwalker999]

Who the <deleted> wants to grow weed with less than 0.2 THC what is this <deleted> horse<deleted>? Just legalize the bloody stuff and people make money with it through legitimate businesses.

[RandiRona]

I hope he starts a new department like TAT and name it as PAT... Pot authority of Thailand.....we need a new revolution ....Mugger AKA Marijuana Hugger. 

[Dmaxdan]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

Now he has ranted on the issue to the Thai media and is adamant that the new laws mean that marijuana is NOT a narcotic. 

What is he on?  Oh wait a minute....

[hamleknoi]

20 minutes ago, sleepwalker999 said:

Who the <deleted> wants to grow weed with less than 0.2 THC what is this <deleted> horse<deleted>? Just legalize the bloody stuff and people make money with it through legitimate businesses.

That's hemp. For the other oils I guess.

[ezzra]

Did i ever mentioned that I LOVE this man when he talks my kind of talks?...

[ThailandRyan]

40 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

I hope he starts a new department like TAT and name it as PAT... Pot authority of Thailand.....we need a new revolution ....Mugger AKA Marijuana Hugger. 

Thai Times, not High Times magazine....

[Broken Record]

1 hour ago, petermik said:

open mouth and foot enters...does this chap ever learn...ohh forget that...its a pointless question.

He's a Thai Billionaire, Deputy Prime Minister, Health Minister and has a lot of power in the country we choose to reside in.

He's a good guy in real life and only negative stories that are cherrypicked to generate hits are bandied about on social media platforms.

 

If you people met him in real life, you'd be falling over yourselves to praise him and adorn him with compliments to curry favor.

He's a good guy in reality and you shouldn't be so quick to pour scorn on everything he does, it's not easy to be in his position.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Broken Record

[Misterwhisper]

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

The next pm of Thailand.

 

Cannabis - and Casinos and massive backing.

And twice-weekly 2-hour live rants on national TV, no doubt.

[mokwit]

less than 0.2% THC is the level of hemp grown commercially for fibre.

[ThailandRyan]

So lets see, the country will be solvent and the Baht will rise to new Purple Indigo THC highs.....

[connda]

Well he's got my backing now:  Anutin For PM!!!

Of course, this isn't New York so as a foreigner I can't vote.

I like the theme:  "A chicken in every pot, and six pots of pot in every home."
I'll convince my family that he's our man!!!

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Really gunning for that PM position now.

 

Will he be handing out bags of weed to secure votes, as they do here in Issan with lao khao?

[trainman34014]

So; now it's Anutin the great 'Public Defender'; Lawyer, Barrister and all.   Is there anything this Man can't do ?  He should obviously be the next Prime Minister after the next Rigged Election !

[connda]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Instead he promised that Bhumjaithai party list MP and lawyer Suphachaijai Samutjai would defend anyone charged with growing the plant.

Realistically, they will flood the courts with cases, and then the courts will give up and signal to the parliament and administration to enter the 21st century and allow cannabis and hemp to be grown as cash crops for domestic use and export, as well as to at least decriminalize the use of 0.2+THC because once the public starts growing it - like Thai roads - there aren't enough cops to enforce the law to the letter.  Smoking a spiff - ฿400 fine.  Hopefully that's the future.  Then they can let another 30% of the prison population out of incarceration and back into the society to use their skills to farm cannabis. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by connda

[connda]

7 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

So; now it's Anutin the great 'Public Defender'; Lawyer, Barrister and all.   Is there anything this Man can't do ?  He should obviously be the next Prime Minister after the next Rigged Election !

(Honorary) Dr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Esquire

[TropicalGuy]

Isn’t there a reasonable strong case to legalize, regulate, control, tax ALL Drugs, everywhere ? Equalize Drugs with the far more deadly but legal Alcohol, Smoking & Obesity ?

No more Ruinous War or Drugs, End of Cartel Rule, Business & Violence.

Combine perhaps with heavily taxing or banning junk food and phased - in No Public Health Treatments for any Addictive Adult Self -Abuse & resultant Disease / Injury, removing perhaps 90% load on Health Services and providing massive incentive for all people to be as Healthy as they can and not inflict their self- abuse on the rest of us. Of course, Children would be publicly treated as would Non- self abusive  Adults. 

 

 

[fondue zoo]

44 minutes ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Really gunning for that PM position now.

There Can Be Only One!  <cue Queen>

"The HighLander"

 

[pokerface1]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The "intent of the law was to make it free to grow" he insisted. The interpretation of the law was another matter. 

But the intent as seen by HiSo lawyers is to take away millions of Baht in legal business. I don’t think they will back down without a fight. 

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, Broken Record said:

He's a Thai Billionaire

 

The first "qualification you chose is telling.

 

1 hour ago, Broken Record said:

He's a good guy

 

Good guys can be incompetent.

 

1 hour ago, Broken Record said:

it's not easy to be in his position.

 

Who said his "position" is easy?

 

 

Honestly if there were a thin-skinned award, for someone else with even thinner skin, I'd be voting for this post.

 

 

[connda]

Anutin needs to hire me onto his campaign for PM as I have the winning strategy for him.  I ❤️ Science!

Legalize Cannabis for Everyone To Stop SARS-Cov-2!!!
Anutin will be declared a savior and national hero.  He'll win as PM by a landslide. 

Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants
"In follow-up virus neutralization assays, cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid prevented infection of human epithelial cells by a pseudovirus expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and prevented entry of live SARS-CoV-2 into cells. Importantly, cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid were equally effective against the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant B.1.1.7 and the beta variant B.1.351. Orally bioavailable and with a long history of safe human use, these cannabinoids, isolated or in hemp extracts, have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2. "
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35007072/

[kevinsan]

Some apartment buildings are already MJ friendly and allow a few plants on the balcony. Never enough to satisfy the personal use issue but one can get by. We should all be happy and thank the current Government for their progressive attitudes on kratom and cannabis. Wish them luck on their National Heritage certifications and look forward to the green flash at sundown in 2022!