Thai Cannabis Network Seeks Clarity on New Draft Bill: Concerns Over Many Parts of the Bill

[webfact]

On January 19th, 2024, Mr. Prasitchai Nunual, the secretary-general of the network for Shaping the Future of Thai Cannabis, spoke about Dr. Cholnan Srikaew, the Thai Minister of Public Health, regarding the draft Cannabis and Hemp bill.

Using cannabis for health benefits must have a valid prescription from a physician under the draft bill, however, smoking marijuana in public areas would annoy others. Therefore, smoking marijuana should not be in public areas, remarked Prasitchai.

 

Smoking marijuana should be in designated areas only like cigarettes, said Prasitchai. Herbal treatments using cannabis were a traditional method whether by smoking, eating, or other means. Prasitchai questioned Dr. Cholnan on how to differentiate that if a single roll of marijuana was medicinal or recreational. There has also been significant concern that the proposed fine of 60,000 Baht if caught using marijuana recreationally could be potentially abused by corrupt law enforcement to extort people, especially tourists and foreigners.

 

This was doubly true if the judge of if using marijuana was recreational or medical was left to police.

 

The new bill stated that it completely prohibited recreational purposes, emphasizing the use for medical and health prospects.

 

However, no clear measures indicated the protection of consumers from marijuana smoke in public areas, remarked Prasitchai. It has also been suggested that allowing cafes where people can smoke with experts on staff without bothering others would be preferred over public area use.

 

The Thai government aimed to control the use of marijuana as an illicit substance and drafted the bill with very strict measures compared to the control of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes which were allowed to be used for recreational purposes, said Prasitchai.

 

By Kittisak Phalaharn

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-01-22

 

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[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Using cannabis for health benefits must have a valid prescription from a physician under the draft bill, however, smoking marijuana in public areas would annoy others. Therefore, smoking marijuana should not be in public areas, remarked Prasitchai.

Sheer genius

 

[Pouatchee]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai government aimed to control the use of marijuana as an illicit substance and drafted the bill with very strict measures compared to the control of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes which were allowed to be used for recreational purposes, said Prasitchai.

 

smoke all you want, get COPD or lung cancer or emphysema that is ok.

alcohol? dont even want to go there...too slippery a slope.

 

one thing is sure, and that is that the PIGS wont say no if it can line their pockets 

Edited January 21 by Pouatchee

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

There has also been significant concern that the proposed fine of 60,000 Baht if caught using marijuana recreationally could be potentially abused by corrupt law enforcement to extort people, especially tourists and foreigners.

 

Just part of Thai culture, surprising no-one at all.

[JimboB4]

Don’t understand. This is just merely stating the current status quo since it was first legalized in 2018. 

[nobodysfriend]

What do they gain from making it illegal again ?

It is and will stay available everywhere , the only ones I see who can profit from it becoming illegal  is the thai police who can collect more bribes again ...

 

 

[stoner]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

however, smoking marijuana in public areas would annoy others. Therefore, smoking marijuana should not be in public areas

 

sensible. and i do agree....however

 

who decides what is annoying to the public and what is not ? was there a survey ? some things that annoy me might not annoy others. for example the huge amount of cigarette smokers flaunting the laws here smoking in many places they shouldn't annoy me. the stank of smokey thai roadside bbqs annoy me. and is there an annoyance hierarchy ? annoying level 1. annoying level 2. etc

 

old people annoy me too. so can we also make sure they are not in public areas.

 

[ChipButty]

How long has this been legal? well nobody has annoyed me so far, there is a dope shop every 200 meters where I live, 

[Olmate]

"Secretary General" for shaping the future for cannabis!! lol!.... not your average run of the mill hophead then? 

[Wuvu2]

I somehow feel obligated to read every "news" story about changing marijuana regulation, but there is zero chance the government will be able to wrap its arms around marijuana use again. There is a need for some regulation of the cannabis industry, but we consumers will always have easy access to weed. Party on Garth 

[stoner]

32 minutes ago, Wuvu2 said:

I somehow feel obligated to read every "news" story about changing marijuana regulation, but there is zero chance the government will be able to wrap its arms around marijuana use again. There is a need for some regulation of the cannabis industry, but we consumers will always have easy access to weed. Party on Garth 

 

oh behave...yeah....yeah baby yeah.

[ThaiFelix]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

How long has this been legal? well nobody has annoyed me so far, there is a dope shop every 200 meters where I live, 

Walking that far every morning could be annoying for some         

[bobbin]

Meanwhile..

 

https://www.dw.com/en/german-minister-aims-for-cannabis-legalization-by-spring/a-68042155

 

One hopes that the disconnect is obvious.

[ignore it]

Laws never stopped weed smoking, never will.

 

[bobbin]

Even Canada's iconic Mounties can spark up off-duty..

 

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/rcmp-relaxes-recreational-cannabis-use-policy-for-officers-1.6734934

[kiwikeith]

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Sheer genius

 

yes sheer genius, this is why if your a non smoker and you complain to your mates at your local they will tell you to sit somewhere else and keep on puffing, I solve this because the shop bar lady puts me at the end of the table with a fan behind me, my mates all smoke except me but I dont complain I just let the fan blow the smoke away,

[wombat]

everything is working fine as it is and doesnt require any clarification ..

 

''IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT""

The closest thing to laissez-faire.

[geoffrobbo]

4 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Just part of Thai culture, surprising no-one at all.

Where does the word "potentially" fit? If plod can shake down anyone for a bribe he absolutely will, there is no "potentially" about it.

[fondue zoo]

4 hours ago, ChipButty said:

How long has this been legal? well nobody has annoyed me so far, there is a dope shop every 200 meters where I live, 

 

Challenge accepted.

I'll be there in about 30 minutes, blazing saddles of obnoxious!

 

[Dogmatix]

7 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

What do they gain from making it illegal again ?

It is and will stay available everywhere , the only ones I see who can profit from it becoming illegal  is the thai police who can collect more bribes again ...

 

 

 

First of all Chlonan is a Thaksin lackey and Thaksin waged the war on drugs to get revenge on his son's dealers and is still down on drugs, even relatively harmless ones.  Secondly they hope to get political credit from voters who are brainwashed against "yaa septic" (narcotics).

[n00dle]

8 hours ago, JimboB4 said:

2018

2018?

[Dogmatix]

It is not very clear how this is supposed to work.  I couldn't find the clause in the draft that says you need a medical prescription but it is clear enough there will be a fine up to 60K for recreational use and up to a year in jail and/or a 20k fine for DUI of cannabis - limit and testing procedure unspecified. However possession of any part of the plant except extracts over 0.2% THC remains legal but you are not allow to use it, unless you have evidence of medical use. So the cops will have to catch people actually consuming the cannabis recreationally, possession not being criminal. You say you just like the smell and you keep weed in the house like pot pourri you remember from your great aunt's musty old house.

 

Smoking anything in public so as to cause a nuisance to other people is illegal under the Public Health Act but there needs to be a  complaint and I think the fine is only 10k.  There is nothing on this in the Cannabis Bill. 

 

It seems like they have to catch people in the act of smoking and fine them for doing it recreationally. But as he says, this would be mainly an opportunity to shake down backpackers.  Most Thai stoners will not have much money to pay the cops and the fine for a first offence is not likely to be more than 10k.  I don't think they can detain offenders for an offence that is not even imprisonable.  Very hard to catch people who ingest it. Extracts over 0.2% may be illegal but if people avoid extracts and only ingest decarbed weed, pretty difficult to catch them. 

Edited January 22 by Dogmatix

[JimboB4]

On 1/22/2024 at 3:35 PM, n00dle said:

2018?

That’s when they first slowly legalizing it 

[impulse]

On 1/22/2024 at 11:57 AM, wombat said:

everything is working fine as it is and doesnt require any clarification ..

 

''IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT""

The closest thing to laissez-faire.

 

The right people aren't making the money.

 

My forecast:  They'll make it illegal, get their cartel ducks in a row (just like beer, 7/11, etc) then re-legalize it, but only the right people will make the money.  Everyone else involved will make a pittance.

 

BTW, on last week's visit to Bangkok, I didn't see a single weed store open.  They were all closed.  I was only in town 3 days, so I may have missed some.  Are they closed because of legality, or because there's one every 200 meters and they can't make money?