Thailand’s Cannabis Debate Ignites After Doctor’s Insightful Article

[Kwaibill]

13 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

did you watch reefer madness this past week or something ? 

 

 

you know bong translated into thai .....is bong. 

LOS has officially been weed free for forty years vs centuries of traditional usage prior to Western notions of prohibition. As shameful as the notion that women must not allow a glimpse of their mammalian heritage, particularly in an atmosphere of steadily increasing ambient temps.

Climate change deniers in three, two,…

[stoner]

19 minutes ago, Kwaibill said:

If I could buy it with the same ease with which I buy Tramadol OTC at my local pharmacy I would for sure try an ingestable form for neuropathic issues, but so far it is just more complicated than my needs allow.

 

if you are living in thailand i would be more than happy to help out. please message me if you want. 

[Skipalongcassidy]

37 minutes ago, charmonman said:

First of all it is normally the responsibility of the person making the claims to provide the evidence for those claims. Second, I was not aware that the UK had legalized recreational cannabis use.

I know that the common knowledge of the forum is in question... but laziness in sourcing one's own opinion in order to negate what someone  else has posted has become the go to weapon of choice.  By demanding someone else's sources without citing your own is demeaning and should overrule the request.  The counter arguers have become lazy and simply cannot mount a proactive defense for their position so they demand your source so they can poo-poo it.   

What is Common Knowledge?

You may have heard people say that you do not have to cite your source when the information you include is “common knowledge.” But what is common knowledge?

Broadly speaking, common knowledge refers to information that the average, educated reader would accept as reliable without having to look it up. This includes:

Information that most people know, such as that water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit or that Barack Obama was the first American of mixed race to be elected president.

Information shared by a cultural or national group, such as the names of famous heroes or events in the nation’s history that are remembered and celebrated.

Knowledge shared by members of a certain field, such as the fact that the necessary condition for diffraction of radiation of wavelength from a crystalline solid is given by Bragg’s law.

However, what may be common knowledge in one culture, nation, academic discipline or peer group may not be common knowledge in another.

[SenorTashi]

1 hour ago, NobbyClarke said:

LOS has survived without it for many years.

I started buying weed in Thailand in 1991.

 

Even though I've use cannabis in various forms for various reasons I don't think a free-for-all approach is great.

Most hybrid weed is too strong and can cause mental problems with vulnerable people.

I definitely approve of using good quality CBD oil for sleep, pain, epilepsy, etc though.

And obviously, using hemp for construction and fabric and paper etc is fantastic.

 

[nobodysfriend]

31 minutes ago, Kwaibill said:

I would for sure try an ingestable form for neuropathic issue

 

Just make a tea ... or put some in your food ...

may be it helps , don't put too much , just a little bit ...

You could check it out if you want ... up to you ...

[Surasak]

1 hour ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Typical bail out... google doesn't work on your computer or you are too lazy to search... the info is there.

Google puts out all kinds of information, some of it true, some of it suspect, and some drawn from government entities. Just because its google, doesn't mean its fact. Better to cross reference with other portals of information.

[bamnutsak]

Currently legal medical use is very, very limited. Just a few conditions qualify:

 

1. Nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy (chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting)(5, 6)
2. Epilepsy that is difficult to treat and intractable epilepsy(10,11).

3. Spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis(12).
4. Neuropathic pain(8, 13)
5. Anorexia in underweight patients with AIDS(14,15)

6. Improving quality of life in patients receiving palliative care or end-of-life patients
 

 

I think there is some interest in expanding legal medical use (high THC), but the extent of that expansion is open for debate, which further complicates the current situation.

 

Could anyone get a medical card? Then buy flower? Then use it even in public? After all I can take medicine in public.

 

Who produces medical flower? How is it tested? Dispensed? Controlled? Taxed?

 

Who produces medical extracts (with greater than 0.2 % THC)? How are those tested, dispensed, controlled and taxed?

 

 

 

 

[khunpeer]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

 

The national conversation in Thailand on the medical use of cannabis intensified this week, driven by an article from Associate Professor Dr Pattapong Kessomboon of Khon Kaen University’s Department of Family Medicine. Dr Pattapong's insightful piece challenged the prevalent misconceptions about cannabis, highlighting its significant, yet often ignored therapeutic benefits.

 

Dr Pattapong addressed concerns that many critics focus solely on the recreational use of cannabis, neglecting its proven medical efficacy. He presented several compelling case studies and research, showcasing cannabis’s potential in treating various medical conditions.

 

One notable instance included a patient with bipolar disorder who experienced significant improvement after switching from conventional medication to cannabis. Another case described an American veteran whose severe PTSD symptoms were managed effectively with cannabis, also averting suicidal thoughts.

 

Israel, a global leader in cannabis research, has been allowing medical cannabis use for over two decades. The results have been impressive, with 87% of patients preferring cannabis products with 18% THC for smoking.

 

In the United States, the legalisation of cannabis in 24 states saw usage increase from 11% in 2002 to 18% in 2022. Concurrently, cigarette smoking rates halved from 400 billion annually to 200 billion, reducing smoking-related illnesses.

 

 

Dr Pattapong suggested that opposition to cannabis might be driven by fears of declining tobacco and pharmaceutical sales. He called for a reconsideration of cannabis regulations in light of its demonstrated medical benefits.

 

Thailand, where cannabis was banned for 40 years, began reconsidering its stance with amendments to the Narcotics Act in 2018, led by Prof. Vicha Mahakun and Somchai Sawaengkan, which started facilitating its medical use.

 

A study on 8,560 Thai patients using cannabis showed that the most common conditions treated were cancer (49.1%), pain (29.4%), and severe stress (6.4%). Key symptoms addressed with cannabis included insomnia (79.1%), pain (77.1%), and fatigue (55.6%).

 

The study noted that 87% of patients preferred smoking products with 18% THC, while 67% opted for sublingual products with 15% CBD. Over six months, 55.4% to 90.8% of patients reported moderate to significant improvements without complications, with pain scores dropping from 6.7 to 3.4 out of 10.

 

-- 2024-07-02

 

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even in Brazil they just opening up for legal use! many countries will follow!

maybe the politicians should smoke some before meetings, makes it a lot less dry... 🤪

[Noah K]

I suppose I should just move along, and although there will be disagreement from some, I still wonder, with all the things plaguing the world today, why put so much effort into classifying parts of a plant that grows naturally? Everyone talks about the freedom to choose. I personally choose not to smoke cigarettes. Because the scientific evidence points to no redeeming qualities in tobacco and yet if you want to smoke them, I shouldn't have the right to make that decision for you, as long as your use does not interfere with my freedom to be free of cigarette smoke. I think we can agree, that the cigarette laws in place today work. There is also evidence that consuming certain kinds of alcohol, like red wine, which can also be beneficial. People should understand the difference between use and abuse. 

[Robert Tyrrell]

Good Morning,

You will never see Thailand talk about control of alcohol, One of the highest road fatalities in the world , Thai youth can walk right into a village shop and purchase alcohol for there parents. I use it in medical capacity and it has improved greatly my fibromyalgia, Arthritis , Neuropathy in my feet and axiety compared to any medications that came with many side effects and longterm use of oral medications.

I do not understand why Thailand is making such a stink when the rest of the world is makinbg it both legal for medical and personal consumption or both but Thailand loves senseless drama !!! 38 States in America have approved personal use or medical use or both !!! Theres plenty of data showing the benifits far more then a non benifit  !!! WAKE UP THAILAND !!! WAKE UP HEALTH MINISTER !!!!

[Robert Tyrrell]

Good Morning,

You will never see Thailand talk about control of alcohol, One of the highest road fatalities in the world , Thai youth can walk right into a village shop and purchase alcohol for there parents. I use it in medical capacity and it has improved greatly my fibromyalgia, Arthritis , Neuropathy in my feet and axiety compared to any medications that came with many side effects and longterm use of oral medications.

I do not understand why Thailand is making such a stink when the rest of the world is makinbg it both legal for medical and personal consumption or both but Thailand loves senseless drama !!! 38 States in America have approved personal use or medical use or both !!! Theres plenty of data showing the benifits far more then a non benifit  !!! WAKE UP THAILAND !!! WAKE UP HEALTH MINISTER !!!!

[Robert Tyrrell]

Good Morning,

 

Protest , Warn your local polioticins if you vote cannibis out your going to be voted out !! Legal Representation and Support is Important , Shops and Buisness to collaborate together to defend your livelihood  !!!

[Adventurer1]

Yes yes yes thank you. 

[Shmo]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

So let doctors at clinics and hospitals prescribe it with a prescription if it's needed for medical purposes, and sold at pharmacies.

Not wed shops on every street corner.

Free market economy says there would be weed shops everywhere. Would you prefer more government regulation and intervention? Like Canada?

Here is what I saw there in last 5 years about the “deadly” weed. 
 

They had seven laws on the criminal law books for cannabis prior to their legalization and it managed for 40 years and as soon as they went through their so-called legalization

( government regulation) process, there was 49 new white collar criminal (non)offenses created to create revenue for the Justice department. They hired thousands of high paid workers to issue licenses. The grey market hired doctors and opens clinics to issue prescriptions. 
Weed stores pop up everywhere, police raid them to shut down unlicensed shops. ( check the regs and see why so many unlicensed shops)
 

The government employees and political minions bought up all the related packaging and testing industries and sought government contracts (while working for the government.) 

meanwhile:
Mark Emery, who spoke about the benefits of medical cannabis for 30 years and the government actively prosecuted him.
as soon as they legalized it, they  jackboot shutdown his cannabis operations treating cancer patients saying he didn’t have a government license because he had a  cannibis ( government created) criminal record previous to the legalization of cannabis.

( government eliminates the competition!)

 

 
Govt picks and chooses the winners in this race,in Thailand,  they still fighting about who….

[Cabradelmar]

I seem to recall they had always intended to keep making marijuana available for medical purposes. Not sure this doctor's opinion changes anything. Most liking, everyone is going to need a medical marijuana card to get ganja from a dispensary in the future.

[sungod]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

As it should be... not sold by private weed shops on the street to anyone who walks in the door with money.

Why?

 

Should the building be used for a bar where you can just walk in and get smashed?

 

 

[Rumpelstilskin]

2 hours ago, stoner said:

 

did you watch reefer madness this past week or something ? 

 

 

you know bong translated into thai .....is bong. 

Learn something every day, I thought bong was invented by Dr's Cheech & Chong

[jvs]

Anutin is going to be PM soon,he will not let his baby be thrown out with the bath water.

[sambum]

4 hours ago, NobbyClarke said:

Medical supervised use yes

Recreational use no 

Look what has happened in the UK: more accidents on the roads, more fines for cannabis use, lots of youngsters would. rather be stoned than working. A lot of stabbing due to people owning money for cannabis.

If the doctor prescribes fantastic.

LOS has survived without it for many years.

Keep it that way in my humble opinion.

"More accidents on the roads........." Due entirely to use of cannabis?

 

"More fines for cannabis use........" Obviously more people using - more people get caught and fined.

 

"...lots of youngsters would. rather be stoned than working" That has always been the case, whether it's drink or drugs. I think that lots of youngsters who have just finished more than 10 years of full time education want a bit of freedom for a while before getting a job. I know I did!

 

"A lot of stabbing due to people owning (owing?) money for cannabis." And you know this how? Could it not be due to people owing money for heroin, cocaine, meth, or other reasons not related to drugs - maybe gang related, "turf wars", or even sales of mobile phones (I'll pay you next week!) etc etc etc

 

"If the doctor prescribes fantastic." ??? I presume you mean that it is fantastic if a doctor prescribes it, but not so if it's bought "on the street"?

 

And your penultimate  sentence "LOS has survived without it for many years" is laughable. It should read "LOS has survived using it illegally for many years" (And will  continue to do so if it is recriminalised)

 

Too many people lambast cannabis (without proof or knowledge) as an evil drug that causes  a myriad of problems, which is not normally the case. And when a Police so called Drugs Abuse Expert lectures a class of cadets and says "Anybody who uses cannabis will end up being a heroin addict", it is no surprise that that people go around spouting about the dangers of cannabis, when in actual fact, they are minimal compared to alcohol and other drugs.

 

[Max Brok]

3 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

That is a lot .

 

Cannabis is a medicine with consciousness enlarging properties .

It has been used for 1000s of years in the history of the world .

Only in our lifetime it has become illegal because the rulers do not want its psychedelic and healing effects .

It might diminish their profits .

Sign of the times ...

But time to wake up now and recognize it for what it is :

A tool to cure certain illnesses and generally :

A healer .

On the other hand the costs of medicine will rise for people who use the medicine. Smaller bulk orders will affect a price, specific for cancer and other already expensive medicines. 

[rumeaug]

This whole swinging affair, one day white/the next black, sounds like "Hello Goodbye" from the Beatles (sorry for the oldies guys 🙂 ) 

You say, "Yes", I say, "No" 
You say, "Stop" and I say, "Go, go, go"

[spidermike007]

And this debate should be renewed, after all there was an adult in the room who actually spoke out, and made perfect sense. Alcohol is infinitely more dangerous than ganja, the only hazard with ganja  relates to lowering one's ambition in life. 

[animatic]

5 hours ago, RSD1 said:

Naah, ya think?
 

Alcohol too more than anything. 

And without any doubt

Big Alcohol is dead set against :

Anything that makes people drink less…

[JBChiangRai]

There is an important difference between Alcohol & Cannabis.

 

People drink Alcohol because they enjoy the process and the taste.

People take Cannabis because they enjoy the effect, the high.

[mikebike]

12 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

People drink Alcohol because they enjoy the process and the taste.

😂😂😂 How cute, you think alcoholics enjoy the process and the taste 😂😂😂

[sungod]

18 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

There is an important difference between Alcohol & Cannabis.

 

People drink Alcohol because they enjoy the process and the taste.

People take Cannabis because they enjoy the effect, the high.

And if someone wants to get tipsy or a little high, whats that got to do with you?

[MarkBR]

6 hours ago, RSD1 said:

Naah, ya think?
 

Alcohol too more than anything. 

And they are addicts for the tobacco & alcohol revenue.  So, the answer is to tax cannabis at the same level.

[Hummin]

5 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

That is a lot .

 

Cannabis is a medicine with consciousness enlarging properties .

It has been used for 1000s of years in the history of the world .

Only in our lifetime it has become illegal because the rulers do not want its psychedelic and healing effects .

It might diminish their profits .

Sign of the times ...

But time to wake up now and recognize it for what it is :

A tool to cure certain illnesses and generally :

A healer .

Something is used for temporary help, mask the symptoms, ease the the struggle, but do not cure.

 

For 1000's of years they had experience using it, but today we can use scientific methods to understand why ot works, how it works, and how to use it correctly.

 

For some that means recreational use is okay when it is labeled widely as have medical promising purposes.

 

 

 

 

[RSD1]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

And this debate should be renewed, after all there was an adult in the room who actually spoke out, and made perfect sense. Alcohol is infinitely more dangerous than ganja, the only hazard with ganja  relates to lowering one's ambition in life. 

To a certain degree that is true. And I wish that were fully the case. But any drug can be abused and used in high quantities cannabis can still be harmful like anything else:

 

Quote

Cannabis use, particularly heavy and long-term use, has been associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric conditions such as delusions and schizophrenia. Here are some key points regarding this relationship:

1. **Psychotic Symptoms**: Cannabis can induce transient psychotic symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions, especially at high doses. These symptoms typically resolve once the effects of the drug wear off, but in some cases, they can persist or recur.

2. **Schizophrenia Risk**: Studies suggest that cannabis use, especially in adolescents and young adults, can increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. This risk appears to be higher in individuals who have a genetic predisposition to the disorder. The exact mechanism is not fully understood, but it is thought that cannabis might interact with the brain's dopamine system, which is implicated in psychosis.

3. **Early Use**: The earlier the age of first cannabis use, the higher the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders later in life. Early use during a critical period of brain development might disrupt neural pathways and contribute to mental health issues.

4. **Dose and Frequency**: Higher doses and more frequent use of cannabis are associated with a greater risk of developing psychotic symptoms and potentially schizophrenia. Heavy, chronic use can have more pronounced effects.

5. **Individual Vulnerability**: Not everyone who uses cannabis will develop psychotic symptoms or schizophrenia. Individual susceptibility varies based on genetic, environmental, and personal factors. Some people may be more vulnerable due to their genetic makeup or other mental health issues.

6. **Other Risk Factors**: Environmental factors, such as stress or exposure to other substances, can also interact with cannabis use to increase the risk of psychosis.

7. **Psychosis**:
  - In addition to schizophrenia, cannabis use can cause transient psychotic episodes, especially at high doses. These episodes can include hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.

8. **Substance Use Disorders**:
  - **Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD)**: Regular use can lead to dependence and addiction, characterized by an inability to control use despite negative consequences.

9. **Cognitive Impairment**:
  - Long-term, heavy use of cannabis has been associated with impairments in memory, attention, and learning. These cognitive deficits can persist even after cessation of use, particularly if cannabis use began in adolescence.

10. **Amotivational Syndrome**:
  - Chronic cannabis use has been associated with a syndrome characterized by reduced motivation, apathy, and an overall decrease in engagement in productive activities.

 

[jollyhangmon]

1 hour ago, JBChiangRai said:

There is an important difference between Alcohol & Cannabis.

 

People drink Alcohol because they enjoy the process and the taste.

People take Cannabis because they enjoy the effect, the high.

 

... hill & arious, you really that clueless dude ...?

Doubtful, so get lost with that crap already, will ya?!