PM Srettha Discusses Cannabis Classification Concerns Amid Coalition Tensions

[webfact]

 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin addressed growing concerns about the potential reclassification of cannabis during a visit to Kanchanaburi. There are fears of tensions within the coalition government over this issue.

 

Srettha stated that discussions with Minister of the Interior, Anutin Charnvirakul, had not yet taken place, but emphasized the importance of putting the Thai people first. He noted that further details would be studied by relevant agencies if cannabis were to be classified as a narcotic illegal drug.

 

The Prime Minister acknowledged the need for a thorough review of the situation and confirmed that Minister of Public Health Somsak Thepsuthin would provide more insights in the future.

 

There have been reported tensions within the government on the matter, with Srettha expressing gratitude towards Anutin for supporting the right to protest. He also assured that there would be no internal conflict among the coalition parties.

 

Previously, Srettha had taken a more decisive stance on criminalizing cannabis, but appears to be stepping back to allow for further discussions and considerations based on public opinion.

 

Pro-cannabis activists have voiced their opposition to any plans of recriminalizing cannabis, with warnings of potential protests and legal actions.

 

Meanwhile, a community enterprise marijuana plantation in Nakhon Ratchasima has faced challenges due to the oversaturation of the market following the decriminalization in 2022. The Chairman of the network highlighted difficulties in selling products and called for government support to mitigate losses.

 

The proposal to reclassify cannabis remains a contentious issue, with differing opinions on its potential impact on the market and those involved in the industry.

 

Picture courtesy: Daily News

 

-- 2024-05-13

 

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[Pique Dard]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the need for a thorough review of the situation

..indeed! but this had to be done before the decision was taken to legalize cannabis.

[stoner]

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, a community enterprise marijuana plantation in Nakhon Ratchasima has faced challenges due to the oversaturation of the market following the decriminalization in 2022. The Chairman of the network highlighted difficulties in selling products and called for government support to mitigate losses.

 

why ? 

 

you opened a new business venture into a free marketplace. if your product is not selling it is not the fault of the government to mitigate your loss.

 

let me guess. you found out cannabis was going legal. heard prices that kilo's were going for and your greed lead you to believe you could grow good cannabis....which of course without any real experience or knowledge found out the hard way that you in fact couldn't. 

 

now you are stuck with a huge stock of garbage product that no one wants to buy. 

 

x kilo per harvest times x baht per kilo .....and you thought you would make out like a bandit. 

 

[Dioj]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, a community enterprise marijuana plantation in Nakhon Ratchasima has faced challenges due to the oversaturation of the market following the decriminalization in 2022.

So they much prefer the decades prior, when they were growing cannabis illegally, before cannabis was decriminalized in 2022, because then they could get a lot more money on the black market for their bunk brick weed, which nobody even wants to buy now?

[Dioj]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

There have been reported tensions within the government on the matter, with Srettha expressing gratitude towards Anutin for supporting the right to protest. He also assured that there would be no internal conflict among the coalition parties.

Looks like the back peddling has already started before triggering an avalanche. What a pity.
 

[Luuk Chaai]

what do we do now boss ?

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

There have been reported tensions within the government on the matter, with Srettha expressing gratitude towards Anutin for supporting the right to protest. He also assured that there would be no internal conflict among the coalition parties.

Srettha v Anutin...  

[smedly]

ban it, we don't need more spaced out (drunk) on the roads here

[Dioj]

23 minutes ago, smedly said:

ban it, we don't need more spaced out (drunk) on the roads here

Totally agree. Alcohol should have been banned decades ago. Awful stuff. Leads to so many drunk related deaths; drunk driving, drunken violence, etc. Not to mention the cognitive damage alcohol causes to the brain over time. And the added damage alcohol causes to liver, heart, vascular system, etc. But it's all the powerful alcohol cartels that are fighting so hard to ban cannabis, which offers so many great medical benefits. What a pity isn't it?

[newbee2022]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The Chairman of the network highlighted difficulties in selling products and called for government support to mitigate losses.

Well, first making money and if business is slowing demand financial help from the govt.

Ridiculous 🙏

[bobbin]

The usual anti-cannabis responses 😄. And one surprising response from a pro-cannabis supporter.. Mr. Stoner.. Stoner, why go for the cheap shot? Community enterprise.. Thai farmers know how to grow, but professionally marketing an unfamiliar product can be challenging in the early days. I doubt their product is crap, and it will certainly get better.

 

This is exactly what I have been counting on as pro-cannabis consumer. Anutin is not going to be a pushover on his signature issue, and his party's key role in the coalition gives him great leverage.

 

Roll 'em and smoke 'em!

[CockneyGit]

If he was in Kanchanburi, should have gone to Monkey Bar. Good gear in there !! 😎

[stoner]

1 minute ago, bobbin said:

Thai farmers know how to grow, but professionally marketing an unfamiliar product can be challenging in the early days. I doubt their product is crap, and it will certainly get better.

 

not cannabis though.

 

a few can grow decently but the majority are not really good at all. not a cheap shot just going with my experience from what i have seen all over the country. i could give literally dozens of accounts of grows i have visited and almost all were sub par at best. i know and was involved with some of the biggest companies in the country. same thing. the companies only made it due to foreigners helping them. i would rather not go into details with thai defamation and all. more than happy to share some info in private if you want though. 

 

i do expect a small percentage of them to catch on quickly though. say 5 to 10 years to really get a handle on it. the rest will be the same like all over the world. people think they can grow good cannabis. in reality its just another drop in the ocean of mids out there.  

 

high quality top shelf cannabis is extremely difficult to grow and requires a true true master grower to pull off. no one in thailand has this experience or knowledge of the plant that i am aware of (other than my guy :)). even the guys i know from the thai black market have only been growing for about 10 years now. none of them are master growers.

 

i know cannabis has been around thailand for a very long time. however they were not making the advancements that others around the world have. 

[Thingamabob]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

ban it, we don't need more spaced out (drunk) on the roads here

Rubbish. Alcohol and meth, not cannabis, are the main contributors to road deaths. 

[Thingamabob]

1 minute ago, stoner said:

 

not cannabis though.

 

a few can grow decently but the majority are not really good at all. not a cheap shot just going with my experience from what i have seen all over the country. i could give literally dozens of accounts of grows i have visited and almost all were sub par at best. i know and was involved with some of the biggest companies in the country. same thing. the companies only made it due to foreigners helping them. i would rather not go into details with thai defamation and all. more than happy to share some info in private if you want though. 

 

i do expect a small percentage of them to catch on quickly though. say 5 to 10 years to really get a handle on it. the rest will be the same like all over the world. people think they can grow good cannabis. in reality its just another drop in the ocean of mids out there.  

 

high quality top shelf cannabis is extremely difficult to grow and requires a true true master grower to pull off. no one in thailand has this experience or knowledge of the plant that i am aware of (other than my guy :)). even the guys i know from the thai black market have only been growing for about 10 years now. none of them are master growers.

 

i know cannabis has been around thailand for a very long time. however they were not making the advancements that others around the world have. 

The quality of cannabis being produced in Thailand in the 1960s and 1970s was as good as that produced anywhere else in the world, arguably the best.

[sammieuk1]

You know It's all gone to pot as soon as the PM starts waffling about no internal conflicts 🤔

[stoner]

1 minute ago, Thingamabob said:

The quality of cannabis being produced in Thailand in the 1960s and 1970s was as good as that produced anywhere else in the world, arguably the best.

 

you are correct. it was all garbage too no matter where it came from. cue old smokers to tell me how great smoking thai stick back in the day was. zzzzzz. sorry i fell asleep. 

 

what is produced today is totally different. most people don't usually get access to the highest quality flowers that are grown.

 

 

 

[nobodysfriend]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

He noted that further details would be studied by relevant agencies if cannabis were to be classified as a narcotic illegal drug.

 

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Previously, Srettha had taken a more decisive stance on criminalizing cannabis, but appears to be stepping back to allow for further discussions and considerations based on public opinion.

 

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Pro-cannabis activists have voiced their opposition to any plans of recriminalizing cannabis, with warnings of potential protests and legal actions.

 

Preparing for a U turn on the U turn ...

Clowns .

 

 

 

[Hotpepper53]

“Yeah”  don’t need all those accidents, death and injuries we just accumulated during “water splash festival” due to cannabis….Oh wait… that was caused by ALCOHOL and ALCOLISM….

 

And… Didn’t the Government just expand hours that cannabis could be consumed into the early morning hours?  Wait…I’m mistaken again….

 

That was “big money” from different business and political bosses keeping their investments in alcohol protected and moving forward… 

 

Cannabis sales have definitely effected alcohol sale just as it has in every country has legalized cannabis…

 

 Out of all the “Socially Accepted” drugs used today…alcohol, tobacco (nicotine), over the counter drugs(Tylenol), and prescription drugs, cannabis has the the least detrimental effects on an adult male over time…yes we need to protect our young….(but how’s that argument working out with the alcohol and cigarettes).

51 minutes ago, Dioj said:

Totally agree. Alcohol should have been banned decades ago. Awful stuff. Leads to so many drunk related deaths; drunk driving, drunken violence, etc. Not to mention the cognitive damage alcohol causes to the brain over time. And the added damage alcohol causes to liver, heart, vascular system, etc. But it's all the powerful alcohol cartels that are fighting so hard to ban cannabis, which offers so many great medical benefits. What a pity isn't it?

 

[bobbin]

24 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

you are correct. it was all garbage too no matter where it came from. cue old smokers to tell me how great smoking thai stick back in the day was. zzzzzz. sorry i fell asleep. 

 

what is produced today is totally different. most people don't usually get access to the highest quality flowers that are grown.

 

 

 

I am an old smoker.. literally. 😁. I visited Thailand several times in the'70s. Loved the old sticks.. Have Western legal ( and "pre-legal") growers advanced the product's quality in the intervening 50 years? Absolutely. But it's not rocket science.. just good old agriculture.I love top quality weed and I've smoked lots of it. But it's taste and effect that I look for and I don't need or want to be paying the equivalent of US$250/oz to be happy!

 

The recently departed ( and not particularly mourned) "brick weed" we had to smoke the last 20 years was about 3000 Baht for 100 grams. So 30 Baht/gm. or 30,000 Baht a kilo. I know people paying 40-50 Baht a gram now for quite decent buds.

 

Now, I won't pay more than 150-200 Baht a gram.. But if it's cheaper and good (and it will be), I'm even happier..

[curtklay]

The PM needs to take a step back... off a pier. 

[Taboo2]

If only humans would realize the hurt, damage, costs and nightmare of alcohol abuse on their families and friends, then they would beg for stricter controls over alcohol.  The data is out there for one country (the one most of the folks here keep hating) on, for what happened to the quality of life during prohibition.  You will find out that life was actually better for families until 1933.

[billd766]

8 hours ago, Pique Dard said:

..indeed! but this had to be done before the decision was taken to legalize cannabis.

By Anutin and the BJT party, who introduced the flawed bill during the last government.

 

It appears that Anutin is now backing the PM in relisting cannabis as a narcotic.

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

what do we do now boss ?

How come Tony's got two badges already? 

[vivananahuahin]

It is a scent of political crisis, u turn certainly of Anutin will leave this government, my opinion.

[Pouatchee]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, a community enterprise marijuana plantation in Nakhon Ratchasima has faced challenges due to the oversaturation of the market following the decriminalization in 2022.

 

if taxsin and his puppet sreta get their way this enterprise will have nothing to worry about cos it will be illegal to grow and they will be shut down. maybe this enterprise should think before yapping

[Felton Jarvis]

Unelected dictator having second thoughts?

[stoner]

7 hours ago, bobbin said:

"brick weed" we had to smoke the last 20 years was about 3000 Baht for 100 grams.

 

 ฺthe true price of that brick was 5000 a kilo. they sold it to foreigners for 3000 for 100g. 

[daveAustin]

6 hours ago, curtklay said:

The PM needs to take a step back... off a pier. 

 

I'd go with that, or at least permanently into china with his brothers.

Not only should cannabis not be reclassified, but mushrooms should also be taken off the banned list.

[dinsdale]

This is all Thaksin. Simple as that.