Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Thailand has issued a slew of new cannabis regulations this week, after a long-awaited decriminalisation...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - Thailand has issued a slew of new cannabis regulations this week, after a long-awaited decriminalisation sparked concerns about the substance's unchecked use anywhere and by anyone, including children.
Businesses began openly selling marijuana soon after the country became the first in Asia to legalise the growing and consumption of cannabis in food and drink on June 9, with strains like "Amnesia" and "Night Nurse" on offer from a truck in Bangkok.
A Bangkok city official expressed alarm about the rapid surge in cannabis sales: At least one person died and numerous others were hospitalised this week after consuming or smoking marijuana, according to Deputy Permanent Secretary Wantanee Wattana.
A cannabis measure is being debated in parliament, but it could be months before it becomes law.
In an online post earlier this week, Mana Nimitmongkol, the head of the Anti-Corruption Organization (Thailand), lamented, "There are no control measures other than word of mouth."
The federal government has been introducing piecemeal regulations this week in an attempt to bring some order to cannabis use.
New restrictions took effect on Friday, prohibiting all public cannabis smoking as well as the sale of marijuana to those under the age of 20, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. The rules were published in the Royal Gazette the next day.
Other rules included prohibiting cannabis use in schools, requiring retailers to provide clear information on the use of cannabis in food and beverages, and enforcing a health law that defined marijuana smoke as a public nuisance punishable by imprisonment and a fine.
Critics claim that the government hurried to repeal marijuana's criminal penalties before enacting legislation to ensure that the substance is regulated.
Thailand's health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, a strong proponent of cannabis legalisation, has defended the government's policy.
On Friday, Anutin declared in Government House, "We legalised cannabis for medical usage and for health."
"Anything beyond that is unacceptable... and we need rules to regulate it," he stated.
Anutin's Bhumjaithai Party, which campaigned on marijuana legalisation ahead of the 2019 election, is a key member of the ruling coalition.
