Youth reps urge online sales ban and no advertising of weed to protect young people

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Representatives from two youth groups went to see the MP heading the committee formulating new laws to be known as the Cannabis Act yesterday.

 

They were Thicha Na Nakhon of the Child and Youth Training Center (for boys) Ban Kanchanaphisek and Natthapong Samphaokaew of the Child and Youth Center. 

 

Young people held up placards asking for tough penalties for law breakers and protection for the nation's youth. One in a white face mask had a big marijuana leaf. 

 

Thicha presented their demands in a letter to Bhumjaithai MP Suphachai Jaisamut who has promised that his commitee will come up with recommendations for the Cannabis Act in the coming months.

 

The main demands are mostly things that have already been addressed such as not selling weed and hemp products to under 20s, not selling in schools, government areas and religious grounds.

 

But one demand that Thicha said she wanted to be introduced to protect the nation's youth was not to allow the selling of ganja products via "automatic means" - she meant online. She also wanted a ban on advertising. 

 

Many companies are offering online sales including here on ASEAN NOW. Home delivery is promised. Other companies are advertising openly on Thai internet platforms. Some dispensaries have "pick-up arrangements" in their shops after online orders. 

 

ASEAN NOW witnessed this in action at a dispensary in the Saladaeng area of Bangkok yesterday. Such places and cafes in the Thai capital have signage up forbidding entry to young people.

 

Thicha thinks allowing online sales and advertising for weed would make it easy for young people to access the drug. 

 

She said she was not against medical marijuana but recreational use should be banned. 

 

Suphachai assured the delegation that everything was being done to make the law fair and in the best interests of Thailand and the Thai people. 

 

In a Thai Rath story he reiterated other comments he has made in other news stories through this week about protecting youth and other at risk groups.

 

He did not specifically address the idea of an online sales ban, just that youth should be protected. 

 

Thailand took marijuana and hemp products off the narcotics list from June 9th. The country is now in what has been described as a "limbo period" before more precise laws regulating the business are decided. 

 

 

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[darksidedog]

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

The country is now in what has been described as a "limbo period" before more precise laws regulating the business are decided. 

Would obviously have been smarter to think these things through before legalising it. Until such time as those more precise laws get here it seems it is a free for all, and the business may well be too big to shut down if it keeps growing at its current rate. Even if they can shut dispensaries down, the old system when it was illegal seemed to keep people supplied well enough, so it is always going to be there.

[lujanit]

I can see online sales and advertizing being banned similar to alcohol.  Either that or the ban on alcohol should be lifted.  Then again TIT.

[david_dyer]

why would ASIA NOW even concider something so irresponsible to be allowing the advertising of drugs......this is the most irresponsible thing i have ever seen on this forum

[Classic Ray]

I am sure the Government are concerned both by regulation and taxation. Allowing a free market has never been possible with alcohol or tobacco and the large companies with vested interests must be protected.

[bstafford214]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Would obviously have been smarter to think these things through before legalising it. Until such time as those more precise laws get here it seems it is a free for all, and the business may well be too big to shut down if it keeps growing at its current rate. Even if they can shut dispensaries down, the old system when it was illegal seemed to keep people supplied well enough, so it is always going to be there.

We have to remember this is how the country has always been, regardless of which type of government. You must first have common sense, leaders who think about consequences and what responsibility is needed. This country takes no action on underage drinking, smoking, riding motorcycles and wearing helmets, so why would they have any laws about underage smoking of weed? Then after making the laws, nobody will do anything, not the police, only waiting for bribes to let there child go after being caught smoking.

 

"Young people held up placards asking for tough penalties for law breakers and protection for the nation's youth. One in a white face mask had a big marijuana leaf."  I think his mom was in front of him making him do that in the photo.

 

This will be interesting now, what will happen to the youth? 55555  

[JimboB4]

No, misinformation the laws are already in place but there is a SMALL group of people calling for new laws. Just require a copy of your Thai ID card or passport when ordering online to verify age. Simple. 

[sambum]

"...........new laws to be known as the Cannabis Act..."

 

Very original - short and to the point to avoid confusion on the part of those who partake of the substance.

 

No confusing statements like :- "Rules and Regulations for the  indulging and partaking of Marijuana in the "New Amazing Land of the Happy Smiles"!!!

[banagan]

How about putting this time, effort and money into cleaning up the air pollution for 4 months of the year up North? 

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, JimboB4 said:

Just require a copy of your Thai ID card or passport when ordering online to verify age. Simple. 

I presume you are adding a photo of you with your id card and/or passport to that statement, or its a bit of a pointless id check otherwise 

[timendres]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

She said she was not against medical marijuana but recreational use should be banned. 

The only thing requested that I disagree with.

I am all for restricting access to under 20's. No advertising.

Online sales is tricky, as age confirmation is not so simple.

[brucegoniners]

This country just cracks me up. 

 

First they're all gung ho to rush pot to the market. Now they backpedal, like they always do.

 

They never think about the consequences of their decisions before making them.

 

A lot of money is changing hands here. Isn't it curious that all these people had the product ready to go to market when the announcement was made?

 

This place will never change.

[RocketDog]

8 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Would obviously have been smarter to think these things through before legalising it. Until such time as those more precise laws get here it seems it is a free for all, and the business may well be too big to shut down if it keeps growing at its current rate. Even if they can shut dispensaries down, the old system when it was illegal seemed to keep people supplied well enough, so it is always going to be there.

True that. The new supply chains being forged now would simply go underground even if the law were totally reversed.

So distribution will be permanently boosted regardlessof legality.

[JimboB4]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I presume you are adding a photo of you with your id card and/or passport to that statement, or its a bit of a pointless id check otherwise 

By that rationale so is doing it in person lol you can buy it for someone else just as easily in person but it matters not the laws are already here. This is just merely a small group of people who are calling for new laws which appear to be falling on def ears mostly.

[RocketDog]

3 hours ago, banagan said:

How about putting this time, effort and money into cleaning up the air pollution for 4 months of the year up North? 

Why? That isn't taxable. No incentive to action.

[pacovl46]

Right! Like that's gonna keep them from procuring it elsewhere. 

 

Banning, restrictions and illegalization have worked like a charm in the past - not! 

 

When will they finally learn that people who want to take drugs WILL find a way to get their hands on some!!!

[billd766]

4 hours ago, JimboB4 said:

No, misinformation the laws are already in place but there is a SMALL group of people calling for new laws. Just require a copy of your Thai ID card or passport when ordering online to verify age. Simple. 

Do you not think that most children are not smart enough to use the internet with a fake ID or "borrow" their parents or an older friends ID card?

 

Cannabis has been around a long time before it was legal and there will be even easier ways to get it due to the half arzzed way that the law was set up in the first place.

 

All these problems should have been sorted out long before the got to this stage, but look who has been pushing it the most.

[Purdey]

As usual, Thailand is concerned about The Children© and never mind the vocational college murder gangs or helmetless motobike speedsters. The threat of alcohol affecting their innocent brains has pushed government bans on alcohol advertising, which Chang utterly destroyed when it advertised in the Premier League. Now there is concern that The Children© might be affected by cannabis. Never mind that it has been easily available forever, together with harder drugs.

While I accept Thais try to avoid uncertainty by having a law for everything, the main difference with other countries is that people just ignore them because there is a lack of enforcement and willingness to solve problems. 

[unblocktheplanet]

Don't forget video pixellation & bleeping out lyrics...

[wealthychef]

Still ok for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their opiates?  

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

He did not specifically address the idea of an online sales ban, just that youth should be protected.

And how does Suphachai propose to do that, ask them nicely to not take Marijuana substances, it doesn't seem to work out that well for all the other drugs that are available.

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Thicha presented their demands in a letter to Bhumjaithai MP Suphachai Jaisamut who has promised that his commitee will come up with recommendations for the Cannabis Act in the coming months.

Considering it was legalised earlier this month that's farcical.

Anutin should be dismissed for gross incompetence at forcing this through, considering he's the "health minister".

[thailand49]

Think things out?  

That is the major reason they never should have opened the can of worms. 

History:  can't solve traffic problems, can't control sales of alcohol to minors. Years ago made a law can't sell 300M from a school which even themselves don't understand nor able to enforce, hanging wires everywhere even after clean was done,  roads full of holes right after they were just fixed,  the see saw decisions the last 2 plus years with Covid,  the list is so long the leaders can't figure left from right worry there are many reasons the youth and everyone else need to worry!

Another great decision by leaders who claim they care but continue to step on the necks of their population so they can control.

Land of Smiles just get a Weed instead of a flower when you visit have a good smoke waiting for a stone taxis while they hit you with duel pricing and scams   so when one bends over it be like getting a colon cleanse before Dr. Oh give you your digital checkup.  ????

 

[kcpattaya]

Works well...

[robblok]

23 hours ago, lujanit said:

I can see online sales and advertizing being banned similar to alcohol.  Either that or the ban on alcohol should be lifted.  Then again TIT.

Why would we lift the alcohol ban, weed is less damaging. So let the alcies suffer they were enjoying it when weed was illegal looking down on weed users, so maybe they need a taste of their own medicine. (more a tongue in cheek remark im not that vindictive). Online buying of alcohol would make things better as it will allow smaller beer sellers (with the new law change) get to a larger public. So it will probably not happen as the major players don't like a level playing field.

 

I agree that young people should be protected and cannabis use among kids should be discouraged / illegal. 

 

The online sale thing is a hot topic for both alcohol and cannabis, i wonder how they can prevent minors buying. Even if you make people put in their details and have them verified, these details can be stolen by youth. So no system will ever be full proof. Same goes for just normal buying of cannabis and alcohol. Buying by proxy is always possible.

 

 

[PadPrikKhing]

15 hours ago, brucegoniners said:

This place will never change.

Do we really want it to, though? I kind of hope it never does.

[happydreamer]

Another well thought out plan by authorities.  

 

"You think too maaaaaattttch"

[JohnHans]

I do hope the Thai Government will not kowtow down to these wackos as they are a minority who have done little homework regarding Cannabis.
The Government should now ban TOBACCO and regard it as a dangerous addictive drug.

[Bday Prang]

20 hours ago, timendres said:

The only thing requested that I disagree with.

I am all for restricting access to under 20's. No advertising.

Online sales is tricky, as age confirmation is not so simple.

Pay with credit card ?

[Arthur Mullard]

I'm no smoker/eater myself and the reek of skunk on London streets used to make me gag.. but these Youth Training Centre reps will be the ones in the classroom who have a personality deficit, and who never question their pathetic old grandma's values. Instead of trusting common sense in their own age group, and thinking about the opportunities for small businesses after 2.5 years of economic disaster, they will be threatened because of their own narrow-minded view of the world. For that reason I'm glad cannabis is off the narcotics list???? Anything to rattle those boring f*@*@*s.