Majority Oppose Re-Criminalising Cannabis in Thailand

[webfact]

 

On June 13th, 2024, Thai Minister of Public Health Somsak Thepsuthin provided an update on the public consultation regarding the draft aimed at reclassifying cannabis as a type 5 illegal narcotic.

 

Somsak reported that the majority of public feedback opposes making cannabis illegal again. Many people prefer cannabis to be regulated and taxed like alcohol or cigarettes. He encouraged continued public participation, assuring that all comments would be considered before finalising any legal draft.

 

Once a final decision is made, the Ministry of Public Health will outline regulations on legal cannabis use. Somsak explained that officials would gather detailed information on cannabis use to draft these secondary regulations, which will follow the ministry's announcement.

 

When asked by national media about the possibility of immediate arrests for those cultivating cannabis, Somsak clarified that enforcement, if the law passes, would not be effective until January 1st, 2025. By then, any existing cannabis plants would have naturally died due to their short lifespan of 90-100 days.

 

He also hinted that, even if the law passes, there might be allowances for small amounts of cannabis possession to avoid unnecessary arrests.

 

The question about whether the draft implies legal cultivation of cannabis at home sparked discussions. Somsak stated that it was too early to draw conclusions. Public feedback would be crucial in shaping the final regulations, which will undergo further review by the Narcotics Control Board.

 

On the same day, Mr. Prasitchai Nunual, the secretary-general of the Network for Shaping the Future of Thai Cannabis, criticised the Ministry's decision to re-criminalise cannabis without forming a joint committee for fact-finding. He alleged that this move is influenced by financial interests lobbying the government to monopolise cannabis control.

 

In response, the network announced a pause in their protests to prepare for a major demonstration on July 8th, 2024. They plan to collaborate with nationwide cannabis networks to resist monopoly control and address broader economic issues in Thailand's history.

 

File photo AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

 

-- 2024-06-14

 

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[shdmn]

They buried the lede.  Something I have suspected all along.

 

Quote

He alleged that this move is influenced by financial interests lobbying the government to monopolise cannabis control.

 

[redwood1]

We support weed legalization....

 

[jonclark]

The public also wanted MFP to form the government...and look how that turned out - what the public wants and what it gets are often two vastly different things. And that applies to most countries in the world, not just Thailand. 

[Pouatchee]

if people understood that sending pot heads to jail is expensive, and counterproductive a huge milestone would be achieved. by sending pot heads to jail society is likely turning peaceful people into hardened criminals due to the stigma attached to being labeled a con....

 

PS... the big question here is who is actually feeding the populace all these bs polls against weed?  the answer... taxin cronies and cops who want the pushback  etc... now it seems most dont want it criminalized again... imho this is the truth

 

 

[Tropicalevo]

 

2 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

if people understood that sending pot heads to jail is expensive, and counterproductive a huge milestone would be achieved. by sending pot heads to jail society is likely turning peaceful people into hardened criminals due to the stigma attached to being labeled a con....

 

PS... the big question here is who is actually feeding the populace all these bs polls against weed?  the answer... taxin cronies and cops who want the pushback  etc... now it seems most dont want it criminalized again... imho this is the truth

 

 

That is about the dumbest excuse ever for recreational cannabis.

Who else would you pardon?

Rapists, drunk drivers? Illegal immigrants?

[Mr Meeseeks]

The final decision will be up to Thaksin, our very own Wizard of Oz.

[Mr Meeseeks]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

He alleged that this move is influenced by financial interests lobbying the government to monopolise cannabis control.

 

100% correct. 

[Pouatchee]

37 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

That is about the dumbest excuse ever for recreational cannabis.

Who else would you pardon?

Rapists, drunk drivers? Illegal immigrants?

 

you troll every op about weed making your anti weed position known. stay out of it and no it is not the dumbest excuse. your pathetic post is... 

 

Quote

 

Who else would you pardon?

Rapists, drunk drivers? Illegal immigrants?

 

 

wth is this supposed to mean? learn to organise your posts before submitting bottom of the barrel drivel

 

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Somsak reported that the majority of public feedback opposes making cannabis illegal again. Many people prefer cannabis to be regulated and taxed like alcohol or cigarettes. He encouraged continued public participation, assuring that all comments would be considered before finalising any legal draft

And a couple f weeks ago a poll said the majority want it re-criminalised.

[Bangel72]

Wonder what strains he is growing "By then, any existing cannabis plants would have naturally died due to their short lifespan of 90-100 days."

 

Some auto's will fit that period but I suspect some Thai strains can take 90 days just flower and then the same again in flower mode.

[patman30]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

cannabis to be regulated and taxed like alcohol or cigarettes

this was always the solution they were planning
the back n fore show is just to get to the "compromise" in the middle

 

42 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

That is about the dumbest excuse ever for recreational cannabis.

Who else would you pardon?

Rapists, drunk drivers? Illegal immigrants?

The only thing illegal about weed has been the fact that it was illegal
there has never been any evidence of weed causing death
unlike alcohol and nicotine (even nicotine is debateable) pr drunk drivers

[Jiggo]

Shouldn't that read the majority of Pot Heads and Pot Shops don't want cannabis re classified 

[Cabradelmar]

Lots of Thai money tied up in and ganja biz (Anutin for one)... money talks in Thailand. 

[Hakuna Matata]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Somsak reported that the majority of public feedback opposes making cannabis illegal again

 

Who is this "majority"? Mostly Chinese owned businesses in Thailand? Farang owned businesses in Thailand? 

 

Let's hold a referendum in Thailand!

 

Stop cannabis in Thailand!

[Shmo]

In my area there is a large number of grow factories with a LOT of money invested  from other SEA countries . Literally hundreds of good paying easy work jobs being created locally. There is WAY too much money invested in their initial legalization goal to go backwards. Taxing and regulation was always the goal for revenue. That’s what Canada did.
The Canada system works pretty well and is a good place for lessons for Thailands future. The stage is almost set up for a very similar system! 

[Thingamabob]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

That is about the dumbest excuse ever for recreational cannabis.

Who else would you pardon?

Rapists, drunk drivers? Illegal immigrants?

.Recreational cannabis users should never have been criminalised in the first place. Rapists and drunk drivers should, however, face the full force kf the law.

[ignore it]

Flip flop advisory issued!!

[ThaiFelix]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

By then, any existing cannabis plants would have naturally died due to their short lifespan of 90-100 days.

90 to 100 days?  Excuse me but your ignorance is showing.

[Kinnock]

The weed sold by the legal shops doesn't seem to be very strong anyway.  I don't smoke, but tried what was claimed to be a full strength weed brownie, hoping for a reprise of my university-era giggling sessions .... and nothing happened.

 

[fredwiggy]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

That is about the dumbest excuse ever for recreational cannabis.

Who else would you pardon?

Rapists, drunk drivers? Illegal immigrants?

You're comparing a person who smokes weed, which doesn't make people violent but usually calms them, and lets people let off steam in an ever stressful world, to a person who uses control to force himself on a woman, a person who drives a 2 ton vehicle while drunk and which causes thousands of deaths yearly, and a person who takes the chance to enter another country to raise money for himself or family? That is about the dumbest response to a q posting I've seen yet.  Marijuana makes money, for people and the government, and helps people cope

[NemoH]

To be fair, Thailand has gone too far to back paddle in banning weed cafes. There are many ways of controlling this. Eg. Licensing weed cafes, Restricting the number of cafes per area, Tender for cafe licenses, Zoning area for no weed cafe - in hospital, schools..etc. ban on students entering cafe or restricted time for operation of cafe. Restrict only approved product list that can be sold in cafe. More information display for product type to consumers…. Etc 

[ThaiFelix]

10 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

The weed sold by the legal shops doesn't seem to be very strong anyway.  I don't smoke, but tried what was claimed to be a full strength weed brownie, hoping for a reprise of my university-era giggling sessions .... and nothing happened.

 

The effects from eating cannabis can vary widely for many reasons. 

 

Actually I think the pot sold in the shops is too strong and is causing some of the problems the straights are concerned about but thats just an old hippies opinion.

[ThaiFelix]

7 minutes ago, NemoH said:

To be fair, Thailand has gone too far to back paddle in banning weed cafes. There are many ways of controlling this. Eg. Licensing weed cafes, Restricting the number of cafes per area, Tender for cafe licenses, Zoning area for no weed cafe - in hospital, schools..etc. ban on students entering cafe or restricted time for operation of cafe. Restrict only approved product list that can be sold in cafe. More information display for product type to consumers…. Etc 

You are completely correct but who would enforce these rules/laws?

[wensiensheng]

The majority of public feedback? I would suggest that the answer you get is defined by whom you ask. To get a true voice of public opinion it would be necessary to hold a referendum. As in let the people speak.

 

Except the last referendum results were ignored, weren’t they. Hence MFP is not in power.

 

This nonsense about cannabis is going to go on and on ad infinitumand frankly, it’s boring. If it isn’t decriminalized then nothing will change, if it is recriminalised, even the PM suggests small amounts will be ignored so as to reduce arrests! In other words, no change.

 

How many more articles will we read about a situation that isn’t going to change? Let me get back to watching my paint dry.

[n00dle]

Im sorry, but I just can't fathom the stupidity of a government scraping the barrel for tax revenue, implementing and removing travel taxes, and then kissing a cash cow like the taxation of cannabis goodbye.

the sheer stupidity of legalizing the drug without regulations or a tax infrastructure in place boggles the mind.

[Dcheech]

With the state of Thai economy through most of the teens. followed by the years of the virus & lock up. The economy is bad no matter how much lipstick they put on the pig.  Many got into cannabis; from Ban Nok to college grads They have invested, borrowed & got loans. Now the government is going to pull the rug from under them? 
The big fish can buy polls, create news articles & buy petitions, but at the end of the day if they do this, they are going to make a lot of angry people crossing age and economic class. Yes it should have been rolled out better, more controls etc. but TIT.

[Spock]

51 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

The weed sold by the legal shops doesn't seem to be very strong anyway.  I don't smoke, but tried what was claimed to be a full strength weed brownie, hoping for a reprise of my university-era giggling sessions .... and nothing happened.

 

The edibles on sale are not so good in my limited experience.

[JBChiangRai]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

.Recreational cannabis users should never have been criminalised in the first place. Rapists and drunk drivers should, however, face the full force kf the law.

 

59 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

You're comparing a person who smokes weed, which doesn't make people violent but usually calms them, and lets people let off steam in an ever stressful world, to a person who uses control to force himself on a woman, a person who drives a 2 ton vehicle while drunk and which causes thousands of deaths yearly, and a person who takes the chance to enter another country to raise money for himself or family? That is about the dumbest response to a q posting I've seen yet.  Marijuana makes money, for people and the government, and helps people cope

You both mention and condemn drunk driving, what about drug driving?

[fredwiggy]

3 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

 

You both mention and condemn drunk driving, what about drug driving?

Driving on anything that makes you change your habits isn't good. Even driving after using some cough syrups can be dangerous for some people. Some drugs make you sleepy and of course this is to be avoided.