Anutin calls for patience as debate over hemp bill drags on

Anutin calls for patience as debate over hemp bill drags on

A new announcement categorising flowers or buds of the cannabis plant as "controlled herbs" is a temporary measure to curb the proliferation of recreational cannabis use while the deliberation of the bill on cannabis and hemp continues to drag on, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday.

This latest announcement made last Friday by the Ministry of Public Health is only one of the many small legal measures being used to control the recreational use of cannabis that has increased rapidly following the decriminalisation of cannabis in June, he said.

The problem of the increasing recreational use of cannabis continues while Thailand waits for the cannabis and hemp bill -- an all-in-one legal mechanism to ensure better control of cannabis use in the country and limit it to medicinal purposes -- to be passed into law, he said.

Anutin: Wait for 'final say'

Mr Anutin was responding to concerns raised by Senator Somchai Sawangkarn over the increase in the number of shops openly selling cannabis to buyers, especially in Bangkok's main tourist districts, including on Khao San Road and along the Sukhumvit area.

The senator said on Tuesday the country is now critically in need of a specific law to curb the recreational use of cannabis and its implications on society.

The Senate will try to help facilitate the attempt to pass the cannabis and hemp control bill.

He believes there is still enough time for the House of Representatives to finish its deliberation of the draft law before the parliamentary session ends on Feb 28.

When the latest notice on controlling the herb is published in the Royal Gazette, the sale of cannabis flowers or buds will become illegal, except when they are sold by parties specially permitted to supply these materials for medicinal purposes, Mr Anutin said on Wednesday.

While a violation of the new announcement may lead to a maximum fine of 20,000 baht and/or a maximum jail term of one year, some shops that deal in cannabis currently make 300,000 baht to 1 million baht each a day from selling to tourists, said Mr Somchai, citing findings from a survey he personally conducted on a number of such vendors.

With the new ministerial announcement in place, the control of recreational cannabis use will slightly improve while the country waits for the cannabis and hemp law, he said.

He said the Senate will not amend the draft law after the House approves it if the draft is good enough; however, if it still requires changes to protect the public interest, the Senate will have to change it anyway, he added.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (39)