Two deaths linked with cannabis use and violent incidents reported in recent days by Thai police

[webfact]

Krabi police on Monday night arrested a 36-year-old identified as Mr Bless Thongtan, who appeared to be hallucinating and told them that God had instructed him to murder a 32-year-old local neighbour and durian farmer. The suspect told police that he had been smoking marijuana but had also taken two methamphetamine tablets.

Evidence in both cases speaks to the perpetrators experiencing a hallucinatory state and not being able to take responsibility for their actions. In the first incident, in Nong Bua Lamphu, police sought a toxicology report from an autopsy on a 14-year-old boy addicted to marijuana who had just attacked his grandfather with a cleaver before hanging himself from a tree.

Two people have died in Thai provinces in recent days in violent incidents linked to marijuana use. One of the cases, on Monday night, involved a 36-year-old man in a state of hallucination who attacked a neighbour in Krabi, killing the man with a machete. The man admitted to police he had taken methamphetamine pills and smoked marijuana while on Sunday night, in Nong Bua Lamphu, a 14-year-old boy, reportedly addicted to cannabis, committed suicide after attacking his grandfather. Police later found a marijuana bong discarded on his bed in a hut near the house.  

 

The scale of Thailand’s drug epidemic and perhaps an insight into the public’s concerns over the free availability of marijuana in the kingdom can be seen from two violent incidents in the past two days involving a 14-year-old in Nong Bua Lamphu and a 36-year-old perpetrator in Krabi.

 

by James Morris and Son Nguyen

 

#news

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2023/06/28/two-deaths-linked-with-cannabis-and-violence-krabi-nong-bua-lamphu/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2023-06-28

 

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[gargamon]

So the guy was taking meth and also smoked some marijuana, and they blame the marijuana for his murder spree? Wow. Somebody's got an agenda here. 

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, gargamon said:

So the guy was taking meth and also smoked some marijuana, and they blame the marijuana for his murder spree? Wow. Somebody's got an agenda here. 

Yes quite likely, there is political mileage in putting down cannabis.... I certainly am beginning to think it does not mix well with meth though!

[Skipalongcassidy]

Gotta blame something... it's tradition now rather than acknowledging the shortcomings of the individuals involved.

[2baht]

Damn ganja! 

[stoner]

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I certainly am beginning to think it does not mix well with meth though

i would imagine that most things don't mix with meth well. :)

[gargamon]

8 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Yes quite likely, there is political mileage in putting down cannabis.... I certainly am beginning to think it does not mix well with meth though!

There is nothing that mixes well with meth. 

[sirineou]

There are forces in Thailand that desire to reverse recent laws liberalizing cannabis use and growth and wukk use any excuse to demonize its use. 

The man was  on methamphetamines and the blame pot? I know little about pot , methamphetamine or the combination of the two, but I believe that pot has a calming effect .

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, gargamon said:

There is nothing that mixes well with meth. 

Yes, that is probably the one to give up if one doesn't have the bottle to stop using both!

[sirineou]

12 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Damn ganja! 

Reefer Madness.

 

[bamnutsak]

I did post yesterday in the provincial thread about the 14 YO...

 

There has been a lull in the scary anti-cannabis "stories" (fan fiction?) lately. Interesting to see an increase now. They need a really big story to close the deal.

 

 

There will be even more scarier stories in the coming weeks, all to pressure changes on Cannabis.

 

 

The 36 YO clearly was on meth, as is much of the country.

 

Waiting on the drug results on the 14 YO.

 

 

Meth is a much, much larger problem, but the country runs on meth so what can you do?

 

Methamphetamine is cheap now in 2 - 5 baht per tablet range. Reasonably potent cannabis is way outside the purchasing range of these folks. If they're smoking cannabis it's dirt weed, and probably not even psychoactive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JayClay]

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

and told them that God had instructed him t

Why was this death linked with drugs, and not religion?

 

If you didn't believe in god then you'd just reject the voice as you know it can't actually be him.

[sammieuk1]

Chuwit will be writing a strongly worded letter to Anutin ..just about now ????

[Skipalongcassidy]

3 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Yes, that is probably the one to give up if one doesn't have the bottle to stop using both!

While I am against abusing drugs of any sort I also know personally that marijuana has certain properties that alleviate the pain that I experience from neuropathy.  Doctors will prescribe drugs like Gabapentin and Pregabalin and other similar drugs without hesitation but never mention marijuana... the listed drugs have more adverse side effects than marijuana and do less to alleviate the pain ... why do you think that it's not mentioned along with the others... could it be that it is free from big pharma control?

[JonnyF]

Ridiculous to blame weed when he'd also taken Meth.

 

It's well known that weed has a calming effect. The only thing I want to murder after a smoke is a cheese sandwich.

[spidermike007]

Totally ridiculous. It was the meth not the ganga. Alcohol is far more dangerous. 

 

I know plenty of brilliant people who smoke, and it has not slowed them down. To the contrary, alot of highly intelligent people use herb to slow down their brains, create some perspective, alter their perception and boost their creativity. Speaking from experience, there is little about ganga that is harmful, as long as it does not become a daily habit. I used to smoke occasionally. It was delightful, and did not make me stupid. It did make me funnier, and enhanced my life on several levels. Dancing, sex, skiing, music, movies, and many other activities seemed more enjoyable. 

 

I consider alcohol to be infinitely more toxic to the body and mind. Not to mention society. Yet, it is legal. 

 

Like many things, moderate use can be enjoyable and relaxing for many. And from a medicinal point of view, it is astonishing. My mother smoked. She had severe degenerative osteoarthritis of the spine. She was in alot of chronic pain. It helped her alot. And my guess is it was far better for her health and mind, than pain killers. 

 

[dingdongrb]

".........public’s concerns over the free availability of marijuana in the kingdom......"

 

Where can a person get this FREE marijuana? (Asking for a friend.)

[Lacessit]

The only effect edible pot has had on me is sedative. The meth pills are far more probable as the cause of violence.

I am reminded of the Biblical phrase " Straining at a gnat, and swallowing a camel" when one thinks of the daily toll of violent incidents arising from the abuse of alcohol, in the hundreds if not thousands in Thailand.

[stoner]

25 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

If they're smoking cannabis it's dirt weed, and probably not even psychoactive.

from how dirty and chem laden dirt weed is...im not so sure it isn't psychoactive. 

[jacko45k]

18 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

why do you think that it's not mentioned along with the others... could it be that it is free from big pharma control?

I do not believe the medical use is under threat, and more power to it. 

[bamnutsak]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

I do not believe the medical use is under threat

Depends what you mean by "under threat".

 

If cannabis flower is relisted then we'll revert to the previous limited, strictly controlled, CBD (mostly) medical applications, controlled by the DTAM and currently only used for six limited medical treatments.

 

Might the Parliament expand medical usage? Maybe, but doubtful. 

[mikebell]

'reported in recent days by Thai police' - thus is immediately suspect; like the number of farang suicides.

[jvs]

36 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

Waiting on the drug results on the 14 YO.

No matter what kind of drugs he was on,the parents are also to blame.

[Tropicalevo]

41 minutes ago, sirineou said:

There are forces in Thailand that desire to reverse recent laws liberalizing cannabis use and growth

As well as a majority of the population.

Recreational users are a minority and are still illegal as explained by Anutin to CNN.

 

Quote

 

Speaking to CNN in an interview ahead of the move, Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he expected legal cannabis production to boost the economy but cautioned that recreational use of the drug remains illegal.

 

 

[stoner]

Just now, jvs said:

No matter what kind of drugs he was on,the parents are also to blame.

you mean someone has to take responsibility ? 

[bamnutsak]

Just now, jvs said:

No matter what kind of drugs he was on,the parents are also to blame.

My guess is that his grandfather, whom he allegedly cleavered to death, was his primary guardian and that his parents are absent or deceased.

 

 

[KhunLA]

Whether on meth or ganga ... the reason he killed, GOD (the evil one) told him to.   So meth & ganga is apparently irrelevant to the story.   But agree with others, since highlighted, someone has an agenda against ganga being legal.

 

Could it be those who used to sell it illegally, since now it's cheap and accessible ... hmm.   Or those that benefited from the illegality of it, processed the criminals of.

 

It is in the news, so ignorant people will believe it.   Kind of reminds me of (& off topic), of dying with covid vs from covid.  How everyone bought into that BS.

 

As with all news, future headlines will be dictated by who's in control of the news, and control of the products being sold for profits.  Money will always win, not common sense.

 

That's up to us to filter the BS... and new science ???? people will start spewing.  Good Luck with all that.

 

Again, experience wins over BS.

[jonclark]

And where were Thai social services. A 14 year old drug addict living with his grandmother...any social, medical or educational Interventions to support a clearly vulnerable family? 

 

Likewise another.  drug addict albeit older, but again no social support network. 

 

If drug addiction is such a widespread social problem in Thailand where are the social support services to deal with and prevent the educational, economic and social.crises that often precipitate from such situations? 

 

Nowhere, nadda, nothing...just blame drugs it's simpler, cheaper and absolves the government of any responsibility.

 

Without any such services, the underlying issues surrounding drug addiction will remain; poverty, lack of opportunity, broken and dysfunctional families etc etc. 

 

Any debate about 'blame or fault'  is null and void until these issues are dealt with first. 

 

[save the frogs]

marijuana may not be responsible for violent behavior, but it's debatable whether marijuana is safe for 14 year olds. 

if they want to keep it legal, there needs to be a massive education campaign to inform youth that perhaps it's not safe to consume at such a young age. 

 

[h90]

That is a cheap propaganda piece....some news how the marijuana user get aggressive and killers...so we must ban it, else we can't be safe from them on the street.

Pure fiction and shame on Thai Visa to post such nonsense.