Health Minister Defends Cannabis Policy During Censure Debate

[webfact]

 

by Paul Rujopakarn

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has reaffirmed that cannabis legalization is expressly for medical purposes and not recreational use.

 

The minister defended the policy on the first day of the no-confidence debate, after the opposition party claimed that the decision to remove the plant from the Type 5 narcotics list violated several international treaties and Thailand’s constitution.

 

During the debate, deputy Pheu Thai leader and chief opposition whip Sutin Klungsang said the cannabis policy violates the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961.

 

He also said it goes against Section 66 of the constitution, which requires Thailand to cooperate with international organizations and protect the public interest.

 

He said the government must think about the benefits and drawbacks of this policy as the plant remains illegal in other countries with strict regulations on imports.

 

In response to these allegations, Minister Anutin said the plant’s legalization was always intended for medical purposes and was never decriminalized for recreational use, which does not violate any international treaties or regulations that the country has ratified.

 

He reminded all parties that the policy was always part of the government policy statement delivered in the House of Representatives and had passed the approval of numerous committees before being approved for removal from the narcotics list.

 

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-07-20

 

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[chickenslegs]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has reaffirmed that cannabis legalization is expressly for medical purposes and not recreational use.

Oh dear!

 

[ikke1959]

A health minister who is a building constructor...... what does he know about health, never studied for it nor have a medical background.... and about cannabis, where did he get his knowledge from?? Has he ever talked with the Netherlands were cannabis is really legalized and how they handle it there?? I have more medical background than he has, but I am not Thai, otherwise I would pretend I knew everything 

[animatic]

“UnitedNations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961.”
 

A reference woefully out of date. Ganga has been removed from many countries narcotics lists. And most of the people singing on about it are to young to have even been around when this out of date Convention was signed.

 

Try last year; 

https://www.who.int/news/item/04-12-2020-un-commission-on-narcotic-drugs-reclassifies-cannabis-to-recognize-its-therapeutic-uses

Edited July 20, 2022 by animatic

[connda]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

In response to these allegations, Minister Anutin said the plant’s legalization was always intended for medical purposes and was never decriminalized for recreational use, which does not violate any international treaties or regulations that the country has ratified.

Keep saying that over and over.  Anutin For PM! 

[coolcarer]

7 minutes ago, animatic said:

“UnitedNations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961.”
 

A reference woefully out of date. Ganga has been removed from many countries narcotics lists. And most of the people singing on about it are to young to have even been around when this out of date Convention was signed.

Didn’t those other countries have a clear set of guidelines, regulations and laws in place first to minimize and potential negative effects though? That would seem to be the issue here.

[coolcarer]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

In response to these allegations, Minister Anutin said the plant’s legalization was always intended for medical purposes and was never decriminalized for recreational use,

Well now that we know it was never intended to be legalized for recreational use, how does that leave those users who said, buckle up, we’re in the driving seat now………..

[unblocktheplanet]

I never knew those pedals worked so fast...backwards! What nonsense--pot is legal. Deal with it.

[Bday Prang]

7 hours ago, animatic said:

“UnitedNations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961.”
 

A reference woefully out of date. Ganga has been removed from many countries narcotics lists. And most of the people singing on about it are to young to have even been around when this out of date Convention was signed.

 

Try last year; 

https://www.who.int/news/item/04-12-2020-un-commission-on-narcotic-drugs-reclassifies-cannabis-to-recognize-its-therapeutic-uses

some info in the 2nd link doesn't look to promising

 

Cannabis and cannabis resin will now be classified as having a similar degree of abuse and dependence potential as medicines such as morphine and oxycodone. 

 

still got a long way to go

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has reaffirmed that cannabis legalization is expressly for medical purposes and not recreational use.

So why is it being said it can be put into food and drinks by your high street vendor?

[MrJ2U]

I think the cannabis thing he pushed is the only good thing he accomplished.

 

He's widely disliked outside of his inner circle.

 

In due time 

Hopefully he'll be replaced by someone actually knowledgeable about health. Perhaps even someone in the medical field. 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2022 by MrJ2U

[Gecko123]

The abysmally chaotic roll out of cannabis decriminalization is such a scathing indictment of Anutin's administrative skills that I don't think he should ever be allowed to assume the duties of prime minister.

Edited July 20, 2022 by Gecko123

[ezzra]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

has reaffirmed that cannabis legalization is expressly for medical purposes and not recreational use.

And how to use it 'for medical purposes' pray tell? there are dozens  other items that the people can and need to use for medical purposes and we didn't see you handing any of those out...

[mikebell]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

In response to these allegations, Minister Anutin said

'it's too late my family have already planted hundreds of rai with hemp seeds.'

[jacko45k]

44 minutes ago, ezzra said:

And how to use it 'for medical purposes' pray tell? there are dozens  other items that the people can and need to use for medical purposes and we didn't see you handing any of those out...

Maybe a little off thread... but I saw video of a Parkinsons sufferer, who was shaking a lot, even unable to speak. vape some of this stuff and his symptoms quickly abated, and he was able to talk normally. Apparently this lasted some hours....

Surely this should be administered and readily accessible to  sufferers. 

[lujanit]

Do you know how cannabis became a schedule 5 drug?  You have the good old USA to thank for that.  They threatened to withhold all foreign aid if Thailand didn’t classify certain drugs (including opioim which was widely used here as recreational).  Look up Harry Asinger the then director of the fledgling DEA, drug enforcement agency, actually its predecessor.

 

Thais government officials could learn a thing or two about empire building from Harry.

[TooPoopedToPop]

Prohibition creates a black market and massive official corruption.

The USA is a good example.

Nutcases like J. Edgar Hoover and Harry J. Anslinger led the country to disaster.